Join us for a Zoom presentation of findings from a recent study conducted by UNH Cooperative Extension of the preservation trades sponsored by the N.H. Preservation Alliance along with Maine Preservation, Preservation Trust of Vermont and Preservation League of New York State.
Across the Northeast United States, a significant number of older homes and historic buildings are in need of rehabilitation and repair. Properly maintaining historic properties can require a high level of specialized knowledge and experience, such as in carpentry, masonry, and plastering. In recent years, many Northeastern property owners and employers have noted workforce shortages within the building and construction trades, broadly, and these shortages are acutely felt within preservation trades specializations. A lack of workers who are skilled in these trades impacts a wide variety of economic, social, cultural, and environmental dimensions. Such implications include the availability and safety of housing stock, sense of place and vibrancy of cities and towns, and the ability of communities to sustainably (re)use their existing resources.
Showing a collective interest in the preservation and restoration trades workforce, four statewide preservation nonprofits joined forces to create the Northeast Regional Initiative for the Preservation Trades. The initiative’s aim is to better understand this issue and develop courses of action to foster a more robust and sustainable preservation trades workforce. Specialists from UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community and Economic Development team partnered with this initiative to lead a multi-methods research project consisting of a survey, interviews, and focus groups with trades professionals, preservation specialists, workforce development professionals, educators, and other stakeholders.
Please join us for a webinar marking the report’s official launch, on March 28th, 2023. The full report will be available on the UNH Extension website following the webinar.
Webinar: Understanding and Advancing the Preservation Trades
Tuesday, March 28th, 3:30 – 4:30 pm (online)
Cost: Free; Open to the public
Registration deadline: Monday, March 27th, 2023 (a Zoom link will be emailed in advance)
UNH Extension Research Team:
Jada Lindblom, Ph.D.
Molly Donovan
Scott Slattery
Project Partners:
Preservation League of New York State
Preservation Trust of Vermont
New Hampshire Preservation Alliance
Maine Preservation
The project is supported through grants from the Moe Family Fund for Statewide and Local Partners through the National Trust for Historic Preservation and The 1772 Foundation.
For more information about the Northeast Regional Initiative for the Preservation Trades: https://www.preservenys.org/preservation-trades