Skills shortage
Tackling the skills shortage in heritage window restoration and renovation
The heritage restoration sector, particularly the highly specialised areas such as those working on heritage and listed buildings, is facing an ongoing and ever-increasing skills crisis. A shortage of specialists, combined with an ageing workforce, is starting to put an increasing strain on the industry.
Recent research underscores how widespread this challenging situation is. Historic England’s 2024 Skills Needs Analysis(1) reveals that although an established and confident contractor base exists, the supply is failing to meet the underlying need for traditional building skills. The report also highlighted that there is a strong reliance on informal training and experience, with an insufficient supply and quality of formal training. There are barriers in place to recruit suitable trainees and apprentices and limited capacity and succession planning in the smaller businesses that make up the sector.
As recognised in the Historic Environment Skills and Careers Action Plan for England (HESCASPE), it is estimated that an additional 86,500 workers will be needed each year up until 2050 to retrofit England’s traditionally constructed buildings if we are to meet the net zero targets. However, research has shown that the current heritage focused construction workforce has little interest in entering the ‘retrofit’ market. It was identified that there needs to be attention given to the mainstream construction sector to ensure there is the opportunity to diversify skillsets to complete the work to an appropriate level(2).
This is not just a heritage problem – it is a construction-wide issue. The UK Trade Skills Index forecasts that almost a million new recruits are needed in the next decade. This, paired with an ageing workforce and too few apprentices causes a huge problem. There is already a shortfall of around 166,000 skilled tradespeople, so something needs to be done to tackle this.
The issue also goes beyond the standard heritage or construction positions, even specialisms such as mouth-blown glassmaking is slowly fading away, with recruitment and apprenticeship failure considered one of the main causes.
So, why does this matter to the wider public? There is the risk of conservation areas, building features and traditional skills being lost, or work having to be carried out by those without the specialist knowledge needed to do the job correctly.
Aside from that, looking after the windows in heritage and historic properties is absolutely critical. They are a defining element of a building’s architectural character, and more importantly their performance significantly impacts thermal and acoustic efficiency. Repairing or retrofitting these on the older properties requires expert knowledge and an understanding of historical material behaviours, glazing techniques and more. Not to mention the knowledge of conservation guidance and guidelines that must be followed. Without the correct skills and knowledge, incorrect works could irreversibly damage the fabric and character of these buildings.
At Ventrolla, we recognise that preserving heritage demands more than just products, it needs a solid base of skilled professionals who are trained in the correct way. That is why we are actively taking steps to help address the skills shortage and hopefully improve the situation. Here’s what we are currently doing to bridge the skills gap;
- Our Technical Director, Dave Tiller is an approved STEM Ambassador, working directly with pupils to educate them on the opportunities in heritage construction, many of which they had not previously heard about.
- We have partnered with West Suffolk College on their Construction and Conservation in the Built Environment (CCBE) Apprentice Training Course.
- We are establishing a dedicated training area and workshop at Leeds College of Building, the UK’s only specialist construction college, to expose students to the heritage world.
- We deliver Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training to RIBA-approved architects and councils nationwide. We also attend monthly CPD in-person expos to ensure we remain a part of the central conversation around heritage and meet those in the industry.
- We have partnered with the Build Centre for Retrofit 2023, 2024 and now 2025. This helps us provide ongoing support to the industry, as well as maintaining a visible presence at events to advocate for heritage construction skills.
- We have recently started hosting roundtable events to bring together architects, conservation officers, contractors and more, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the sector. Our first roundtable focused on the wider issues in the industry and brought to the surface a discussion around the documentation, guidance and guidelines being a solid base, but the interpretation of that information often being the issue. This supported the topic focus for the next roundtable, taking place in September.
- Mark Flanagan, Managing Director, being appointed a member of the British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Council, to allow Ventrolla to be more proactive in the discussions regarding the wider industry
The heritage construction sector stands at a crossroads, without commitment and action from those within the industry, we will see irreplaceable skills vanish in the reasonably near future, but with a collaborative approach and a focus on training and advocacy, we can welcome a new generation of heritage specialists.
We are incredibly proud of the proactive role we play and the work we do to ensure that takes place, bringing together education, training and industry expertise. Together we can secure our built heritage and history, and the future of skilled trades.