Initiated by the North East Heritage Environment Forum and hosted by North of England Civic Trust, the Heritage Skills Initiative (HSI) has identified how severe the skills shortage is in the region and how it is responding to that shortage.  It has determined ways of stemming the increasing heritage skills shortage by examining opportunities, raising awareness and creating the training and partnership opportunities needed to address the shortages in those trades required to restore and maintain the historic environment.  The HSI has examined the sector through mapping current training, the present skills base and demand for skills in the region, and is creating opportunities for training, increasing awareness of the heritage sector and developing an active and collaborative network across the region.

To cope with the huge interest in the Initiative, we now have a project co-ordinator for Cumbria, Lisa Rothwell-Young, who is working alongside North East Heritage Skills Co-ordinator Andie Harris, and Kathryn Banfield has recently joined the team as Heritage Skills Assistant.

This year we launched the Cumbrian Heritage Skills Initiative, and are running a new programme of events for Cumbria.  Both the Cumbria and North East programmes are now available.   

Background information on the Heritage Skills Initiative 

HSI Newsletters