(Image ‘Queenslander House’ by NJM2010 from Wikimedia Commons shared under Creative Commons licence.)
In order to preserve and restore our built history, Australia needs a good supply of tradespeople skilled in heritage construction.
The Construction IRC has addressed this need in a number of recent projects. Heritage units have been updated or added in qualifications for roof plumbers, plasterers and carpenters, and the Certificate III in Bricklaying/Blocklaying and the Certificate III in Stonemasonry each include a comprehensive stream encompassing heritage, conservation and restoration.
The IRC is exploring further ways of strengthening Australia’s heritage skills labour force. One option that will be explored in the forthcoming Industry Skills Forecast is the development of qualifications for heritage specialists. If you have an opinion on this, or just want to register your interest, please let us know.