Apprenticeships: Heritage is a hands-on pursuit

The Office of Public Works (OPW), was proud to celebrate the connections between heritage and education during this year's National Heritage Week which was held from 15 - 23 August. Learning is for all ages and the OPW has a strong legacy of offering apprenticeships which enable people to acquire valuable skills and work to preserve our iconic heritage.

Apprenticeships provide an innovative path to a professional career in many disciplines. They help people discover the joy of working with their hands, acquiring new trades and developing their talents through a programme of education and training supported by their place of work. These career opportunities highlight the value of developing expertise through the consolidation of knowledge and information over time.

The OPW has a legacy of Apprenticeships in multiple areas, including the Craft of Stonecutting & Stonemasonry in the National Monuments Service and the Craft of Carpentry & Joinery in the National Monuments Service. The OPW Furniture Division has been running an apprenticeship scheme for almost 50 years which has evolved to meet the changing needs within the furniture industry while retaining its core values of traditional conservation and restoration methods that are still being passed on today.

With over 650 heritage sites the OPW has multiple needs for the conservation skills being taught to apprentices across important disciplines.