Scottish Traditional Building Forum Workshops
Secondary pupils from schools in Glasgow, Stirling, Perth and Edinburgh took part in traditional building skills event held at various locations.
The hands-on practical workshops provided 13 to 15 year olds with the chance to discover more about traditional skills apprenticeships, and allowed them to have a go for themselves.
They tried their hand at stonemasonry roof slating, joinery and painting and decorating, expertly assisted by current Modern Apprentices in these trades. The event was hugely valuable in raising the profile of the vital skills needed to maintain our unique built heritage.
This is the calendar of events for the next few months:
13 & 14 May
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration outside Edinburgh City Chambers
17 & 18 May
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration at STEM at The Helix
18 & 29 May
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament
3 & 4 June
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration outside Glasgow Cathedral Square
20 to 23 June
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration at the Royal Highland Show, Ingliston
19 to 22 August
Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival (part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe)
23 & 24 September
Traditional Building Skills Demonstration at Perth City Centre
The events are organised by the Scottish Traditional Building Forum as part of Construction Scotland’s, Inspiring Construction programme. It is supported by a range of partners including CITB, City of Glasgow College, West College Scotland, Dundee and Angus College, Edinburgh College and Developing the Young Workforce.
The construction industry currently employs 233,600 people, but it’s estimated that 28% of that workforce will need replacing by 2027, creating at least 21,000 vacancies. Attracting more potential employees to our industry to address this imminent skills gap is one of Construction Scotland’s top priorities.
“What better way to encourage young people to consider a career in the traditional skills side of construction than to invite them to give it a go for themselves. With the Scottish Parliament as the backdrop to this event, I hope the school children feel truly inspired to think of construction as a varied and exciting career choice. “Ian Hughes, Partnerships Director at CITB Scotland
“These Traditional Building Skills events are part of our Inspiring Construction programme, which aims to attract more school leavers to the sector by informing young people and their parents, teachers and career advisors about the huge and diverse range of careers available in construction, and importantly, how to access them. From professions like architecture, engineering and surveying to the more traditional trades like joinery and stonemasonry, this industry has something to suit everyone.” Ken Gillespie, Chair of Construction Scotland
