Training & Education
Historic trades training and education comes in a variety of formats from various providers. Different types of courses and programs will fit into your career journey differently, whether you want to make a career change or are looking to upskill your current profession.
Education and Training Providers
This is a working list of historic trade schools and trainers. Professional networks are not included in this list. A list of professional networks that offer classes and workshops can be found here.
Savannah Technical College
American College of Building Arts
Cape Fear Community College
(910) 362-7000| Cape Fear Community College Website | Historic Wilmington Foundation Website
Professional Certificate for existing contractors, offered in by CFCC and endorsed by Historic Wilmington Foundation
Find available courses here
Bucks Community College
Belmont Community College
North Bennet Street School
617.227.0155 | Website | info@nbss.edu
Accredited AAS Degree in Preservation Carpentry | Interest Engagement Classes for the Public
Heartwood School
Yestermorrow - Vermont Campus
Hudson Valley Community College
Yestermorrow - Utah Campus
Western Center for Historic Preservation
HistoriCorps
Craftwork Training Center
See current course offerings here
Belvedere School
217.474.6052 | Website | yapperman@msn.com
Interest Engagement courses and workshops based in a historic house.
Living Heritage Trades Academy
Stephen T. Mather High School
212-399-3520 | Website | info@MatherHSNYC.org
New York City Public High School offering Preservation Education in partnership with the National Park Service. Students receive a High School Diploma.
Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation
Massachusetts Historic Preservation Corps
703.952.1679 | Website | jpeppers@thesca.org
Internships offered by the Student Conservation Association for young adults.
Northern Bedrock Historic Preservation Corps
218.262.9428 | Website | admin@northernbedrockcorps.org
Organization offering practicums and internships to young adults.
Bridge to Crafts Careers
646-424-9594 | Website | Newsletter Signup
Practicums for young adults offered by the World Monument Foudation in partnership with the Bricklayer and Allied Craftworkers Union. Multiple sites across the coutry.
HOPE Crew
202-588-6000 | Website | mbaker@savingplaces.org
Hands-On Preservation Experience offers Interest Engagement projects to existing youth corps and their members.
International Masonry Institute
(301)-291-2105 | Website | sholland@imtef.org
Historic Masonry Preservation Certificate offered to members of the Bricklayer and Allied Craftworkers Union.
Historic Preservation Training Center
Clatsop Community College
El Centro de Conservación y Restauración de Puerto Rico (CENCOR)
Contact Form | Website | info@cencorpr.org
Workshops, classes, practicums and internships
English: The Center for Conservation and Restoration of Puerto Rico
Pullman Tech Workshop
708-645-6277 | Website | info@pullmantechworkshop.org
Pre-apprenticeships and Practicums in construction and historic trades.
Colonial Williamsburg
(888) 965-7254 | Website | Contact Form
Offering career exploration and apprenticeship-style employment and learning. See current opportunities here.
Willowbank
(905) 262 – 1239 ext. 200 | Website | willowbank@willowbank.ca
3-year Diploma Program, available to Canadian citizens and international students
Providence Preservation Society
401-831-7440 | Website | info@ppsri.org
PPRSI offers different programs designed to help homeowners care for their buildings, introduce new people to the preservation trades, and upskill industry veterans with preservation skills.
Rehabbers Resources | programs, community-building, and basic skills training for residents living in and working on old buildings
Window & Workforce Training Program | a paid, hands-on job training program in historic window restoration
Introduction to the Preservation Trades | two months of paid immersion and training with an employer in the preservation trades
See current offerings here.
Newport Restoration Foundation
401-556-7165 | Website | visit@newportrestoration.org
Preservation Trades Specialist Training Program
Through the organization’s Historic Trades Initiative, local contractors can nominate members of their workforce for the 12-week program. Upon completion, the participants will receive a Preservation Trades Specialist Certification from NRF.
See current offerings here.
IRYS School for Technology and Trades
401-556-7165 | Website | bkenyon@iyrs.edu
51 Touro St, Newport, RI 02840, USA
See current offerings here.
Algonquin College - Perth
613 267 2859| Website | hahnc@algonquincollege.com
Offers Continuing Education Classes and Workshops, Diploma, Bachelor’s Degree in Building Conservation.
The Pellettieri Stone Carvers' Academy
(646) 229-6418 | Website | pellettieri@verizon.net
Interest Engagement courses, workshops and classes, internship and apprenticeships.
Revolution Workshop
info@RevolutionWorkshop.org | Website | 708-529-6288
Offers pre-apprenticeship training with a focus on preservation, as well as public workshops.
Cathedral Stone Masonry Restoration Training
Cathedral Stone Products, Inc. provides hands-on masonry workshops. See more about their masonry training program here.
Penland School of Craft
Penland offers intensive workshops of varying lengths, taught by visiting instructors in our well-equipped studios. Class topics include traditional blacksmithing, forging and forming steel and iron, metal sculpture, working with found metal, finishing techniques, and more. Workshops are open to serious students of all levels unless specified in course description; beginners welcome.
Website: Penland School of Craft
Workshops: Registration – Penland School of Craft
Touchstone Center for Crafts
Touchstone Center for Crafts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to advance excellence in the arts and crafts by educating and encouraging individuals to develop technical skills, good design, and innovative expression.
Website: Craft School | Farmington, PA | Touchstone Center for Crafts (touchstonecrafts.org)
Workshops: https://www.touchstonecrafts.org/workshops
Peters Valley School of Craft
Peters Valley School of Craft provides studio-based educational workshops for life-long learners who have the opportunity to benefit from working with nationally and internationally-recognized artists. Specific to historic trades, they offer woodworking and blacksmithing workshops.
Website: https://petersvalley.org/
Workshops: https://petersvalley.org/learn-with-us/all-workshops/
Ozark School of Blacksmithing
The Ozark School of Blacksmithing offers classes such as: beginners blacksmithing, learn to forge, welding instruction, bladesmithing, carpentry, and more.
Website: https://www.ozarkblacksmithing.com/
New England School of Metalwork
The New England School of Metalwork is a full 501 C3 non-profit educational facility devoted to the promotion and strengthening of metalworking skills. Started in 2000 and located in Auburn, Maine, the concept of the school was developed by Maine Oxy, a local welding distributor and Dereck Glaser, a local artisan Metalsmith. After several years of individuals inquiring about welding skills and ornamental metalwork instruction the decision was made to build the school. We set to the task of designing and planning a dual purpose facility for Metalsmithing and Welding.
Website: https://newenglandschoolofmetalwork.com/
John C. Campbell Folk School
Experience our unique atmosphere of learning and growing together.
Located in Brasstown, NC, the Folk School offers year-round weeklong and weekend classes for adults in craft, art, music, dance, and more. Blacksmithing, woodworking, and stained glass classes are offered here.
Website: https://www.folkschool.org/
Rethos
Tillers International
Classes on woodworking, blacksmithing, coopering (barrel making), tinsmithing, timber framing, toolmaking, and other traditional skills.
Website: Tillers International
Ms. Caitlin's School of Blacksmithing
Ms. Caitlin’s School of Blacksmithing strives to support and promote the craft of blacksmithing, custom-made metalwork, and the blacksmithing community through classes and workshops.
Expressive Metals School of Blacksmithing
Offerings: Blacksmithing classes and demonstrations in Berkeley Springs, WV.
Desert Metal Craft
About:
Desert Metal Craft is the only school in the Southwest dedicated to teaching the ancient art of blacksmithing together with the modern science behind the craft of metalworking.
Courses are designed for all age and skill levels, and taught by a team of experienced blacksmiths, metal workers, artists and metallurgists drawn from the Tucson community. Guest instructors are brought in from across the United States and from around the world. The level of expertise and craft mastery available to students is unparalleled.
Website: Desert Metal Craft
New Agrarian School
About: Workshops for Blacksmithing and metalworking in Montana
Website: New Agrarian School | Blacksmithing Bigfork, Montana
She-Weld Blacksmithing
About: We offer various workshops and courses to introduce and develop blacksmith skills and artistry.
Website: Metal Art Work And Custom Metal Work
North House Folk School
About: Our mission is to enrich lives and build community by teaching traditional northern crafts in a student-centered learning environment that inspires the hands, the heart, and the mind.
Trades Skills: Blacksmithing and Toolmaking, Timber Framing, Woodworking
Website: North House Folk School
W.F. Moran Bladesmith and Artisan Academy
About: Established on October 16, 2022, the W.F. Moran Bladesmith & Artisan Academy is a state-of-the-art facility designed to provide instruction in all aspects of bladesmithing, forging, and much more. Located in Middletown, MD, and just yards from Bill Moran’s forge, the facility incorporates a large forging hall, classroom, and amenities.
Arbutus Folk School
About: We are a 501(c)3 non-profit based in Olympia, Washington, offering year-round classes, workshops, resources, events, and artist residencies with a focus on ceramics, music, woodworking, blacksmithing, fiber arts, glass arts, and folk & traditional arts.
Website: Arbutus Folk School – Pacific Northwest Folk Craft School
ShopSpace
About: ShopSpace, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is the brainchild of people who love crafts, especially metal, and woodwork, and want to share that passion with others. Empowering individuals to envision and create is the foundation of our approach. We strive to provide a safe, supportive, creative, and accessible environment to our community.
ShopSpace programming started with a focus on metalworking and will evolve based on the needs and wants of the community we serve. We are focused on creating a dynamic, self-supporting organization with ever-changing opportunities for the community to build, create, learn, and play. Future programming may include expanded capacity for woodworking, textiles, and other crafts that utilize costly infrastructure, machinery, and tools.
Website: https://www.shopspace.org/
Iron Rhino Forge Blacksmithing School
About: Iron Rhino Forge is conveniently located in Tempe, Arizona. We specialize in traditional blacksmithing and teach students of all ages, including special needs.
Website: https://www.arizonablacksmith.wtf/
Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing
About: The Virginia Institute of Blacksmithing is the only Artistic Blacksmithing school certified to operate by the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia. VIB offers classes for hobby blacksmiths as well as a Certificate of Artistic Blacksmithing for those who wish to pursue a career as an artistic blacksmith.
Website: https://vablacksmithing.org/
Historic Eastfield Village
A campus of historic structures that hosts workshops in early American trades and historic preservation.
Website: Historic Eastfield
Chicago Women in Trades
Mission: Chicago Women in Trades is driven by our mission to ensure that all women who want to work with their hands and earn a good living have equal access to information, training, and employment opportunities in the industry.
Training Programs: Women in Welding, Technical Opportunities Program, Women Build Illinois, Apprenticeships, and Pre-apprenticeships.
Website: https://cwit.org/
Women in Skilled Trades
Apprenticeship Readiness Program in Skilled Trades.
Website: https://www.wistmichigan.org/
Wild Abundance School
Wild Abundance is a permaculture and carpentry school nestled in the mountains of Western North Carolina, just outside Asheville. They host online and in-person classes on carpentry.
Website: https://www.wildabundance.net/
Program Types
Submit a Listing
The Campaign aggregates this information from our network. Help us build a comprehensive database — let us know of any education and training providers that should be added. We require that they provide coursework and learning in historic trades. Providers that do not have hands-on components are not included in this database. Take the extra step and submit courses to our opportunities calendar and map.
There are many ways for individuals, businesses, organizations, and philanthropic groups to support The Campaign. Find out how.