Train a craftsperson

Craft Fellows can support your projects, whilst you build a legacy pathway for heritage skills in Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland can support you to host a Craft Fellow placement.

Craft Fellows on the Craft Your Career programme are employed by HES and complete a placement with a master craftsperson. They train in skills like thatching, stained glass, signwriting, blacksmithing or traditional joinery. We support Craft Fellows to:

• train with a master craftsperson for 12-18 months 

• earn a salary while they learn 

• gain hands-on experience in traditional building skills

• contribute to real heritage projects 

• build professional connections

• support the future of traditional craft skills in Scotland

We place Craft Fellows with partners of all sizes, from national heritage organisations to individual craftspeople. Our partners usually take one Craft Fellow at a time.

Hosting a Craft Fellow can allow you to:

• introduce fresh, creative talent to your trade

• create new capacity within your business area

• bring new ways of thinking to your workplace

• share skills and develop a legacy for your craft

• gain advice and support from our HES team

• connect with the Engine Shed, Scotland’s building conservation centre.  

We recruit Craft Fellows who are interested in heritage and building conservation and have basic skills related to that craft (for example, can use hand tools).

We are looking for craftspeople to host a placement for 12 to 18 months. To host a Craft Fellow, you should:

• work with a traditional building trade, craft, skill or material

• be passionate about building conservation

• have time to support and train a Craft Fellow

• be able to evidence there is enough work to provide high-quality training

• have employers' liability insurance

• have up-to-date risk assessments

You do not need any experience in training a craftsperson, but enthusiasm to pass on your skills is a must. You will want to develop a strong learning experience, that contributes to a large project or a wide range of different projects.

Get to know our Craft Fellows on the Engine Shed blog:

• How I became a Scottish thatcher

• Stone carving: a farm steading undergoes a thoughtful transformation

• The rare art of stained glass conservation

• How to forge a career in blacksmithing

Support young people to learn a traditional building trade with support from Historic Environment Scotland. Join us in helping to meet the growing demand for people who can repair and maintain traditional buildings and build your own workforce.

Modern Apprentices on the Craft Your Career programme are employed by HES and complete their training through a placement with a host organisation. They might train in stonemasonry, plastering, bricklaying, joinery, roofing and other construction trades.

We support Modern Apprentices to:

• train with an employer for up to four years

• earn a salary while they learn

• gain hands-on experience in a trade 

• work towards accredited qualifications 

• receive training and support from Historic Environment Scotland (HES)

• support a positive future for the building sector in Scotland

Explore other apprenticeship models

Hosting a Modern Apprentice can allow you to:

• have an apprentice on a four-year placement

• help someone take a step forward in their career

• create new capacity within your business

• share skills and develop a legacy within your trade

• have HES pay their salary and support costs for tools, personal protective equipment (PPE) and training

• gain advice and support from our HES team

• connect with the Engine Shed, Scotland’s building conservation centre

We recruit apprentices who are interested in hands-on building trades and motivated to learn.

We are looking for businesses to train apprentices for up to four years. To host a Modern Apprentice, you should:

• work with a traditional building skill or within the building conservation sector

• have time to train an apprentice in a traditional building skill

• have time to mentor and develop the apprentice

• be able to allow the apprentice to complete their qualification

• provide a safe working environment

Our programme will support you, even if you have never taken on an apprentice before. You will want to develop a strong learning experience and be enthusiastic about taking on an apprentice.

For general enquiries about our Craft Your Career programmes email technicaleducation@hes.scot (include 'Fellow' or 'Apprentice' in the email subject) or call 01786 234 800.

 Learn more about the Engine Shed