Heritage Skills Taster Day is an exciting initiative designed to inspire young people to explore careers in building conservation and the construction industry.
Ignite a passion for the past—and a future in construction.
Heritage Skills Taster Day is an inspiring, hands-on experience created to introduce young people to careers in building conservation and traditional construction. This immersive programme gives students the chance to try their hand at historic building crafts and discover the vital role they play in preserving our built heritage.
Led by expert craftspeople and industry professionals, the day features a series of interactive workshops in traditional
trades like:
Students will learn age-old techniques still used today to conserve historic buildings—and explore exciting career pathways in this specialist sector.
This programme provides hands-on opportunities to develop practical skills in building conservation crafts and trades. Click here to read the 2025 interim evaluation and scroll down to learn more.
Heritage Skills Taster Day is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to build on the pilot year to grow the project to provide training and work opportunities to even more young people across Sussex.
FIND OUT MOREWe want to show the next generation of builders that there are exciting opportunities in the construction and building conservation sectors. A critical part of this is working with the industry to develop a professional pathway through apprenticeships and work placements. Following the Taster Day, we offer free places at short courses in building conservation through our Bursary Scheme. We also connect with training and apprenticeship opportunities with industry partners, providing a pathway to further employment.
FIND OUT MORE
© Sam Stephenson
© Sam Stephenson
© Sam Stephenson
© Sam Stephenson
© Sam Stephenson
Kieran attended Heritage Skills Taster Day in 2024. Following the day, he was awarded a bursary with South Coast Roofing in Foundation Roofing, sponsored by Clarke Roofing.
We then matched Kieran with a work trial at Chichester Carpentry, a nominee in the 2024 Sussex Heritage Trust Awards. Kieran has now been offered a permanent position with the company.
Kieran, 24, Foundation Roofing – 2024 bursary recipient
If you’re a professional in the construction industry and passionate about inspiring the next generation, we’d love your support. Whether you can share your expertise, offer mentorship, or get involved in hands-on learning experiences, your involvement can make a real difference to students exploring careers in this field.
If you’re interested in supporting students, please click below
GET INVOLVEDThe National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past. Find out more here: www.heritagefund.org.uk
