Lack of Skilled Craftsmen

[alice]

Here's an article from BBC today talking about the lack of skilled tradesmen and craftsmen.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6904194.stm

One point it made that I found interesting was education's emphasis on professional jobs have pulled students away from trade. I've been fighting this attitude for years and point out to my students that the average lawyer in the US makes $15,000 a year (due to oversupply) while the average plumber makes three times that.

I think colleges and univerisities have a lot to answer here. I have worked with curators at museums and many of them here have higher degrees in museum studies which involve history, display, conservation and cataloging, but no hands-on education in how to actually restore.

alice

 

[Nemesis]

Actually, EH Buildings at Risk Register only features I and II* not II buildings, apart from London, SAVE compiles a II list but it's not exhaustive.

I'm not sure why museum curators require restoration skills, though, That's a different job and should be given to those with restoration skills.

However - although the situation is worrying, there have been national training initiatives launched, SPAB plods on with its work in educating owners and craftspeople, and the buildings featured on that list are at risk not because of skills shortages but for other reasons. Much of it is down to the neglect of owners, some of it deliberate in order to redevelop...

SAVE has a new Buildings at Risk Officer starting this week - Catharine, and anyone who knows of a Grade II or unlisted but of historic or architectural merit building which could be placed on the register do please contact her.

http://www.savebritainsheritage.org



(In this country, lawyers aren't two a penny and make a fair amount!)

 

[alice]

I agree that museum curators should leave most restoration to skilled craftsmen, but here, as in the UK, skilled restoration specialists are hard to come by. Many specialties (such as ceramic restoration or stained glass restoration) are so narrow that I can see why it's hard to set up a teaching program, and once the program developed, you have to ask yourself if all the students can make a decent living with the work available.

As the article says, it's very difficult and expensive for people outside of museums who have an item or house of historical interest to find specialists in areas like stained glass restoration or historically accurate decoration. It's tempting just to find a local tradesman and look the other way when he uses his everyday emulsion and modern techniques and hope it all works out in the end. The average guy out in the real world cares about his historical items but simply doesn't know that museum restoration work should be to prevent the item (whatever it is) from further deterioration, should be reversable, and should enhance the item while not overwhelming it.

The work I've done for museums involve creating rooms and environments (murals, backgrounds for displays and recreating the walls of rooms). The curators I've worked with all bemoan the lack of budgets to get items properly restored with professional restoration experts and the difficulty in finding skilled restoration craftsmen. While I couldn't make a living on the musuem decoration work available here in this area and didn't want to travel for work when I had children at home (which is why I teach and do my artwork as occasional freelance/weekend job) I think it's a fascinating area and I wouldn't mind doing more when I retire.

alice

 

[Nemesis]

I actually am rather surprised about the claim re stained window craftspeople shortages, there are restorers out there, although possibly working on other buildings and so busy.

I don't think there is any shortage of work for ceramic conservators either, in my experience!

http://www.conservationregister.com/Caring.asp

 

[ilikecobwebs]

I belong to a charity group/registered museum that is responsible for a Grade2* listed building, although the building is just one of a number of things/collections that the charity looks after. Because the charity is very small, in terms of members and finance, the upkeep of the building has been a real challenge. It is on the At Risk register, but we cannot raise enough money for a thorough or even partial renovation. The ceilings are reed and plaster, for example, and we've been told they will cost a fortune to renovate properly, using skilled workers. We've searched through most of the grants system, plus Heritage Lottery (which was a joke), and although there is some money available, the challenge is always how to get through the red tape....most of the charity members are useless at admin., and the whole group really needs a couple of efficient fund-raisers.

As for skills shortages other than those involved with listed buildings, we've been trying for six weeks (without success) to get a carpenter into our house, to carry out some relatively straightforward woodwork jobs....yes, one or two of them we
could do ourselves, but others are a bit beyond our basic hamfisted skills. Trying to get a carpenter or plasterer round here is like looking for a golden egg; there just aint any.

 

[alice]

I'll have to tell my museum friends to send for help from the UK then!

Seriously, I do remember reading of thatchers coming from the UK to do work here in Texas and California because they simply don't exist here.

alice

 

[NT]

If there is more demand than supply and people are willing to pay, people will spot the opportunity and the supply will increase. Trouble is, often people arent willing to pay the real cost, and go without.


NT

 

[Nemesis]

People are too frequently rather more keen on going for the cheapest option. It's not always a matter of supply shortages.

I can't understand why some people buy historic buildings then proceed to ruin them!

uPVC windows...

As for grants - people do get them, and Lottery funding too.

I appreciate the shortage of cash supply, but there are those willing and able to work with reed and lime - Gervase does it!

 

[Juju]

We were hoping to get people in to do some work on our house now but our timing was rubbish as builders, carpenters, etc are now all busy working on flood-damaged homes for months to come (and are busily putting their prices up apparently).

I had just decided that this was an incentive to be bold and try doing some more ambitious stuff ourselves but now partner has broken his leg!

 

[Penners]

In this country, lawyers aren't two a penny and make a fair amount!

You might want to do a bit of a straw poll around the barristers appearing at your local county court before you make that sweeping assertion!

 

[Nemesis]

I've never met a skint barrister...

 

[ian]

How about some more incentive for the non professional craftsman or "talented amateur". Many people want to do more to a property, and learn in the process, using appropriate / traditional materials, but are put off by the road blocks along the way. For example not being able to reclaim VAT on materials for non VAT registered people i.e. a lawyer working on is own house at the weekend. (not my profession by the way). The generally higher costs of conservation materials may encouage people to bodge with common high street products as they are cheaper, or use high street builders. If the VAT could be offset that would help people to make the correct choice of materials. Maybe even be inspried enought to persevere and train to become a "skilled craftsman". I know that the kids, and parents comming and going to the village school opposite my place are intrigued to see 60's wooden cladding and concrete go to be replaced by new daub and lime with hair, (ugghh!) - maybe even to the point of thinking about going into that business.
Ian

 

[Nemesis]

Unfortunately, despite a long running effort by heritage bodies, the VAT situation, with the exception of places of worship, remains the same and will probably continue to do so into the future.

VAT can be reclaimed on alterations and new work to listed buildings, but not repair, and there is a reduced rate in certain circumstances for bringing empty buildings back into use.

That's it.

It's a shambles.

Memo to Brown: end VAT on repairs

Tuesday March 21, 2006
The Guardian


In his budget speech tomorrow (Brown's budget blow for "Chelsea tractors", March 20), the chancellor has a rare and important opportunity to reform the VAT regime to boost urban regeneration and housing provision, and protect our heritage. The Treasury has until March 31 to make representations to the European commission to reduce the rate of VAT on building repairs and conversions.

There are strong environmental, social and economic reasons for doing this. The differential between VAT rates currently levied on new build (0%) and repairs and conversions (17.5%) acts as a serious deterrent to urban regeneration, the maintenance of buildings, care for the historic environment, filling empty homes and making most efficient use of our housing stock - all objectives to which the government is committed.


The cost that VAT adds to repairs and refurbishment distorts the market by offering a perverse incentive to demolish sound buildings or leave them to rot, instead of maintaining them or refurbishing them for re-use. It also encourages greenfield development, contributing to a cycle of decline within towns and cities. Making better use of our existing buildings is essential to regeneration and can play an important part in cutting waste and conserving scarce resources such as land, energy and building materials. The anomaly of VAT on repairs has persisted for too long. We urge the chancellor to grasp this opportunity to put it right.

Shaun Spiers
CPRE

Brian Berry
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Richard Pollard
Maintain our Heritage

Adam Wilkinson
SAVE Britain's Heritage

 

[grays85]

Hi
It is with a dry smile I see plumbers are rolling in cash, because of thier skills, it is usually a case of supply and demand, but moreover the plumber is called that day to do a specific repair or fix another DIY crisis that could have easily been fixed before someone had a go at it.. and we can't be everywhere at the same time, If you book us in, then you'll usually find there are plenty of us about, :lol: the other problem is that its not the same working on a new suite as opposed to trying to fix an old one, I have been stung trying to make an old toilet work, you touched it...you get paid when its working more effeciently than it did before!!

As for lawyers I was called out late on a sunday evening and got the boiler going. a minor repair and I asked if he could give a little off the cuff advise, he said he would gladly help if i called into his office as he charged £138 an hour for advice as a senior partner.. my word thats expensive.. I said...(he grinned) Its all those years of training that it takes... How much for the boiler repair...... he asked.. he nearly fell over.....

no i didn't charge him that, but it should work the same way, but alas it doesn't .he wears a suit .. and I'm a workman

 

[stickybeak]

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