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

(912) 443-5700 | Website

Accredited AAS Degree, Diploma, and Certificates | Public Interest Engagement Classes
See current class offerings here.

American College of Building Arts

843-577-5245 | Website

Accredited Bachelor Degrees | Public Interest Engagement Classes
See current class offerings here.

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

(215) 968-8270 | Website

Accredited Certificate in Historic Preservation
See current course offerings here

Belmont Community College

740.699.3939 | Website

Accredited AAS Degree in Building Preservation and Restoration
See current course offerings here

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

833-TMBRFRM (833-862-7376) | Website | request@heartwoodschool.com

Workshops and Classes required for the Timber Framing Apprenticeship
See current class offerings here

Yestermorrow - Vermont Campus

802-496-5545 | Website | info@yestermorrow.org

Articulating classes and workshops
See current course offerings here

Hudson Valley Community College

(518) 629-4111 | Website | workforce@hvcc.edu

Non-credit bearing Continuing Education classes through the Office of Workforce Development’s Building Technologies, Engineering & Construction
Find current course offerings here

Yestermorrow - Utah Campus

802-496-5545 | Website | info@yestermorrow.org

Articulating classes and workshops
See current course offerings here

Western Center for Historic Preservation

(307) 739-3571 | Website | BEST_Preservation@nps.gov

Classes and Workshops designed for professionals, offered at different locations in the country
See current course offerings here

HistoriCorps

(720) 287-0100 | Website | info@historicorps.org

Interest Engagement Classes for the public | Practicums and Internships for career seekers | Projects available across the country
See current opportunities here

Craftwork Training Center

(215) 536-1776 | Website | Contact Form

Provides Interest Engagement classes to the general public
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

210-207-0035 | Website | info@sapreservation.com

Workforce Development courses in historic trades, offered by the City of San Antonio’s Office of Historic Preservaiton and the Power of Preservation Foundation.
See current offerings here

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.

Olmstead Center for Landscape Preservation

617.223.5111 | Website | Contacts

National Park Service branch that offerings Interest Engagement classes, Practicums, and Continuing Education in Landscape Preservaiton.

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

(301) 663-8206 | Website | Contacts

National Park Service Unit offering Practicums and Internships in the historic trades.

Clatsop Community College

503.338.2301 | Website | rprochaska@clatsopcc.edu

Offering an accredited Associate Degree and Certificate.
See current course offerings here.

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

Two-year accredited program in the craft and fundamentals of woodworking while restoring, building, and finishing classic wooden boats. Public workshops in trades.

See current offerings here.

Program Types

Interest Engagement

Opportunities designed to introduce people to the trades.

Prerequisites – no experience required
Audience – Homeowners and new entrants to the field
Cost – Free, tuition, or donation-based
Providers – Preservation and community organizations, private trainers

Find Interest Engagement Opportunities near you

Pre-Apprenticeships and Practicums

Extended, intensive programs with the direct goal of training people to enter the career field upon completion. Pre-apprenticeships lead participants directly into a Registered Apprenticeship Program (RAP) through formal agreements with the RAP Sponsor. For the historic trades, there are many programs that emulate elements of Pre-Apprenticeships but are not yet qualified by a RAP sponsor. These are referred to as “Practicums.”

Prerequisitites : Usually a high school diploma or GED.
No trades experience required, some experience often preferred.
Cost : Free or a stipend to participants.
Duration : 40 – 2000 contact hours
Providers : Youth Corps, labor organizations, public land agencies, preservation trades employers
Accreditation : Often provide a certificate of completion, or articulate with certain colleges to provide earned credit hours.

Click Here to Find Pre-Apprenticeships and Practicums

Apprenticeships and Internships

Apprenticeships are structured on-the-job training with specified learning outcomes, related instruction, and compensation scaled with apprenticeship progress. There are many apprenticeship-style programs offered across the country that are not registered with the Department of Labor. For clarity, these are designated as “Internships.”

Prerequisites : High school diploma or GED. No trades experience required, although some experience often preferred.
Cost : Pariticpants work full time and earn wages, scaled appropriately with journeyworker level compensation.
Duration : 2000 – 8000 contact hours.
Providers : Employers partner with apprenticeship sponsors. Employers hire apprentices and the sponsor helps track apprentice progress and register with the Department of Labor.
Accreditation : RAPs provide Department of Labor journeyworker certification. Related Instruction can be provided by or articulate with accredited programs.

Click Here to Find Apprenticeship and Internship Opportunities

Accredited Courses

Several colleges offered accredited diplomas, certificates, and degrees in historic building trades. These are distinct from colleges offering continuing education credits.

Prerequisites : For high school, middle school transcript; for college, high school diploma or GED, no trades experience required
Cost : Tuition
Duration : 40 – 2000 contact hours
Providers : Colleges, universities, and institutes
Accredited : Yes, different providers can offer high school diplomas, college diplomas, certificates, Associate Degrees, and Bachelor Degrees

Click Here to Find Accredited Courses

Continuing Education

Professional institutions and organizations often require its members to enroll in classes to maintain their professional certification. These can also be specialization certifications.

Prerequisites : Professional level experience, sometimes membership with the professional organization.
Cost : Class-based tuition
Duration : 1 – 2000 contact hours
Providers : Professional organizations, colleges, universities, and institutes.
Accreditation : Classes offered through colleges are accredited or classes can be articulated with colleges through agreements. Professional organizations often have a process to approve courses for Continuing Education requirements.

Click Here to Find Continuing Education Classes

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.

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