Skills Needs Analysis for the Repair, Maintenance and Retrofit of Traditional (pre-1919) Buildings in England

The supply of, and demand for, the knowledge and skills needed to maintain, repair and retrofit our existing traditional building stock is inconsistent. We need credible, up-to-date qualitative and quantitative evidence to illustrate the scale of the problem, and to prioritise future Historic England work, as well as wider sector investment in skills activities. We expect the data to be valuable to the new Cross-Sector Historic Environment Skills Forum as they take forward action plans for meeting skills needs.

Knowledge and skills development and the capacity of the sector are central to Historic England's Corporate Plan for 2023-26. It prioritises Levelling Up so that 'economically and socially disadvantaged places become more prosperous due to investment in their heritage, and in the skills required to sustain it' while also working towards a heritage (and construction) sector that is more inclusive and benefits from greater diversity. The necessity of widespread repair and maintenance skills is also central to reducing the energy use of our traditional buildings.