Notice of Adoption of Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional Trades Training, 71082-71085 [2020-24645]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 216 / Friday, November 6, 2020 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 2020–24671 Filed 11–5–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140–01–P
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC
PRESERVATION
Notice of Adoption of Policy Statement
on Promotion and Value of Traditional
Trades Training
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation.
ACTION: Notice of adoption of policy
statement on promotion and value of
traditional trades training.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation has adopted Policy
Statement on Promotion and Value of
Traditional Trades Training.
DATES: The policy statement was
adopted on October 19, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Address any questions
concerning the policy statement to
Druscilla J. Null, Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation, 401 F Street NW,
Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Druscilla J. Null, (202) 517–1487,
dnull@achp.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (ACHP), an independent
federal agency created by the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA),
works to promote the preservation,
enhancement, and sustainable use of
our nation’s diverse historic resources,
and advises the President and the
Congress on national historic
preservation policy.
One of the ACHP’s statutory duties
under the NHPA is to encourage
training and education in the field of
historic preservation. In keeping with
that mandate, at its November 7, 2019,
business meeting, the ACHP initiated
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discussions regarding traditional trades
training. America is suffering from a
shortage of skilled workers in the
specialized traditional trades often
required for historic preservation
projects. Expanding opportunities for
traditional trades training would be an
important step in addressing this
problem. Doing so is critical to the
maintenance of our nation’s historic
places and to filling jobs that will help
revitalize communities both physically
and economically.
At its March 13, 2020, business
meeting, the ACHP further explored
traditional trades training and discussed
the possibility of creating a task force to
address the issue. The idea of
developing a policy statement on the
topic also was discussed. On May 28,
2020, ACHP Chairman Aimee Jorjani
announced the creation of the ACHP
Traditional Trades Training Task Force
(Task Force). One of its stated goals was
to develop recommendations for federal
action that could be embodied in a
formal ACHP policy statement.
The Task Force includes
representatives of several federal
agencies and individuals with historic
preservation, education, and
architecture expertise. In addition to
ACHP Chairman Jorjani and ACHP Vice
Chairman Rick Gonzalez, the following
agencies and organizations are
represented on the Task Force: The
Department of the Interior; Department
of Education; National Park Service
Historic Preservation Training Center;
National Park Service Western Center
for Historic Preservation; National
Center for Preservation Technology and
Training; National Endowment for the
Arts; National Trust for Historic
Preservation; Preservation Maryland;
Savannah Technical College; and
Turner Restoration of Detroit.
Based on Task Force meeting
discussions throughout the summer and
fall, ACHP staff developed a draft policy
statement that was reviewed by the Task
Force. Based upon input on the outline,
a draft of the policy statement was
developed and provided to both the
Task Force and the ACHP’s standing
Preservation Initiatives Committee for
review. Following further refinement,
the draft policy statement was sent to
the full ACHP membership for review.
The final version of the policy statement
was adopted by vote of the ACHP
members on October 19, 2020.
The ACHP Policy Statement on
Promotion and Value of Traditional
Trades Training discusses the need for
and the benefits of expanded traditional
trades training; suggests key principles
that should guide federal, state, and
local workforce development and
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training efforts; and offers
recommendations for action.
Text of the Policy Statement on
Promotion and Value of Traditional
Trades Training
What follows is the text of the
adopted policy statement:
ACHP Policy Statement on Promotion
and Value of Traditional Trades
Training
Quality restoration work on historic
buildings requires skilled workers in the
traditional trades. Masons, carpenters,
painters, plasterers, and others in the
construction trades who know how to—
and why we should—preserve, repair,
replicate, and maintain historic
materials and finishes are essential to
historic preservation projects. However,
the unfortunate reality is that there is an
increasingly short supply of such
craftspeople. More recognizable
opportunities for workforce
development and training in the
traditional trades not only would help
address this problem critical to the
maintenance of our nation’s historic
places, but also would contribute to
economic recovery and wellbeing
through career pathways that benefit
local communities.
The importance and value of the
skilled craftworker and the need to
support traditional trades training has
been recognized in the historic
preservation field for many years. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation
addressed the issue in its 1968 Whitehill
Report on Professional and Public
Education for Historic Preservation and
revisited it almost 40 years later in a
2005 issue of its Forum Journal titled
‘‘Building Trades Education in the 21st
Century.’’ The National Park Service
(NPS) also addressed the importance of
traditional trades training in a 1997
issue of its publication Cultural
Resource Management titled
‘‘Preservation Trades and Crafts:
Working in Preservation and Fostering
the Trades.’’ In the years since these
publications were issued, with an aging
workforce and building stock, the need
to increase the number of skilled
craftspeople has only become more
acute.
The federal government can play an
important role in promoting traditional
trades training. NPS already makes a
significant contribution through the
work of the agency’s Historic
Preservation Training Center, Western
Center for Historic Preservation, and
National Center for Preservation
Technology and Training. Expanding
the scope and scale of traditional trades
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 216 / Friday, November 6, 2020 / Notices
training in America will require
broadening federal engagement.
The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (ACHP), an independent
federal agency created by the National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA),
works to promote the preservation,
enhancement, and sustainable use of
our nation’s diverse historic resources,
and advises the President and the
Congress on national historic
preservation policy. One of the ACHP’s
stated duties in the NHPA is to
encourage training and education in the
field of historic preservation. In this
policy statement, the ACHP discusses
the need for and the benefits of
expanded traditional trades training;
suggests key principles that should
guide federal, state, and local workforce
development and training efforts; and
offers recommendations for action.
Scope of Need and Potential Benefits of
Expanded Training
The recent societal trend to devalue
the skilled trades as an alternative to
college and a worthwhile career path
has led to a shortage of new workers
entering the construction trades. This is
occurring at the same time that many in
the existing workforce are retiring.
According to a 2019 survey by the
Associated General Contractors of
America, 80 percent of construction
firms reported having difficulty in
filling craft positions that represent the
bulk of the construction workforce.
Similarly, a survey by the National
Association of Home Builders found 82
percent of respondents expected labor
shortages to be their top issue in 2019.
This lack of skilled workers is further
magnified for the specialized traditional
trades often needed for historic
preservation projects.
The relative scarcity of skilled
workers in the traditional trades is
brought into sharp relief in the wake of
natural disasters. After addressing
immediate emergency issues, full
rehabilitation of damaged historic
buildings is often delayed or
compromised because of a lack of
craftspeople who have expertise
working with historic building
materials.
Despite this shortage, various public
policies promote historic preservation
projects that require skilled traditional
trades craftspeople. For instance, the
Great American Outdoors Act signed
into law in 2020 will provide up to $9.5
billion in funding for deferred
maintenance within NPS and at other
federal facilities. Historic buildings
make up about 46 percent of the NPS
deferred maintenance backlog, and their
repair will boost the demand for skilled
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workers in the traditional trades.
Another relevant policy example is
incentivizing preservation through tax
credits. The federal Historic Tax Credit
for rehabilitation of income-producing
historic properties and similar historic
tax credits in 37 states require that
projects meet quality standards
(generally the Secretary of the Interior’s
Standards for Rehabilitation). Meeting
such standards often requires work by
craftspeople trained in the traditional
trades.
Growing the ranks of skilled
traditional trades workers would help to
build preservation capacity in the
construction trades and ensure that
precious historic resources are
preserved for future generations.
Expanded traditional trades training
also would bolster local economies,
helping to fill vacant jobs. Enhancing
traditional trades training
opportunities—notably for youth and
veterans—would allow people to
acquire marketable knowledge, skills,
and abilities that employers are seeking.
Resulting jobs often are well-paid and
secure. Median wages in construction
have been outpacing the national
median wage, according to the National
Association of Home Builders.
Additionally, the current shortage of
traditional trades workers coupled with
projected continued demand will
provide new entrants into those trades
with considerable job security.
Framework for Expanding Traditional
Trades Training
The effectiveness of efforts to expand
training opportunities in the traditional
trades will be maximized if grounded
upon the following key concepts.
—Training opportunities in the
traditional trades should be widely
available. There should be national
and regional traditional trades
training opportunities with a variety
of options and pathways of different
durations (immersion,
apprenticeships, degree programs)
and educational levels (high school,
vocational school, community college,
college) in order to maximize the
number of new workers entering the
field. Tradespeople already working
in related fields also should have
opportunities to add traditional trades
expertise to their skill set. Likewise,
craftspeople already in the traditional
trades would benefit from continuing
education opportunities.
—Importance of open-source training
curriculum. Each traditional trades
training program currently has to
create its own curriculum. This
problem of reinventing the wheel
would be minimized if open-source
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curriculum options were available.
Standardized programs of study that
could be tailored to unique local
needs would ease creation of training
programs, make them more
sustainable, and encourage the growth
of a community of instructors in such
programs.
—Apprenticeship programs are
essential. By its very nature,
traditional trades training requires
hands-on instruction and mentoring.
Apprenticeships provide that gateway
for entry-level students to learn from
experienced craftspeople. They can
alleviate the burden of student loans.
Apprenticeships also are a key way of
matching students with the
companies that need their services for
direct job placement.
—Importance of industry-recognized
credentials and/or qualification
standards. Currently, there are no
third-party credentialing
organizations bestowing credentials
for the traditional trades and no
specific qualification standards that
must be met in order to claim
proficiency. Such formal recognition
verifies a person’s competence in
their chosen skill, is sought after by
employers, and would be
advantageous for traditional trades
craftspeople seeking to document
their expertise. Credentialing would
be a significant step toward enhancing
the stature of traditional trades
craftspeople relative to the other
professionals (architectural historians,
architects, engineers, etc.) who
collaborate to restore and rehabilitate
historic properties.
Recommendations for Federal Action
The federal government can play an
important role in promoting traditional
trades training and workforce
development. The following
recommendations address both use of
existing federal programs and
consideration of new policies and
programs.
—Integrate traditional trades into
existing Department of Labor (DOL)
apprenticeship programs. DOL
oversees the National Apprenticeship
Program, a system of registered
apprenticeships implemented by DOL
and state apprenticeship agencies that
in 2020 was supplemented with a
new model of industry-recognized
apprenticeships. There are significant
untapped opportunities to
accommodate and encourage
traditional trades apprenticeships in
this national apprenticeship
framework. DOL should include
traditional trades in its Occupational
Information Network Program and the
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Standard Occupational Classification
Codes upon which that program is
based.
—Encourage states to use existing
Department of Education (ED) career
and technical education funding for
traditional trades training in state
Perkins plans. Under the Carl D.
Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act, ED awards more than
$1 billion a year in state formula
grants and competitive discretionary
grants for the improvement of career
and technical education programs
across the nation. While decisions
about how the money is spent rests at
the state and local level, there is ED
oversight of state plans and
implementation. In that context, ED
should pursue opportunities to advise
states on the potential benefits of
traditional trades training in meeting
the labor market need for such
craftspeople.
—Encourage recipients of existing
Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) funding to
address traditional trades training
when meeting workforce development
requirements. Under Section 3 of the
Housing and Urban Development Act,
recipients of certain HUD financial
assistance must, to the greatest extent
feasible, provide job training,
employment, and contracting
opportunities for low- or very-low
income residents in connection with
projects and activities in their
neighborhoods. To meet Section 3
requirements, HUD grantees and their
contractors sometimes run or
participate in training and
apprenticeship programs that prepare
community residents for jobs. HUD
should pursue opportunities to
encourage addressing the traditional
trades, particularly for projects
involving historic properties and the
rehabilitation of affordable housing.
—Consider options for federal support
in development of open-source
traditional trades training curriculum.
NPS’s Historic Preservation Training
Center, Western Center for Historic
Preservation, and National Center for
Preservation Technology and Training
are logical focal points for a federal
response to the need for traditional
trades training curriculum, with
development work either being done
in-house or through contracts. As a
first step, there should be a review of
existing programs and curriculum to
serve as a baseline for next steps in
curriculum development. Once
curriculum is developed, federal
support might also assist in ‘‘training
the trainers’’ to help institutions and
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individuals become familiar with the
curriculum.
—Develop federal qualification
standards for the traditional trades.
As directed by the NHPA, the
Secretary of the Interior has
developed advisory Historic
Preservation Professional
Qualification Standards (Qualification
Standards). The intent is to assist
federal agencies in ensuring that the
employees and contractors
responsible for preservation of
federally managed historic properties
have the knowledge, skills, and
abilities to do so effectively.
Published in 1983, the Qualification
Standards focus on the academic
disciplines of history, archaeology,
architectural history, architecture, and
historic architecture, as identified in
the NHPA. Left unaddressed is the
competency of the craftspeople in the
traditional trades performing the work
of applying the preservation
treatments. NPS should include the
traditional trades in any future
revision of the Secretary’s
Qualification Standards or should
explore development of a parallel set
of standards that could be used to
assess and document proficiency in
the traditional trades.
—Include traditional trades training in
implementation of the Great
American Outdoors Act. The passage
of the Great American Outdoors Act is
anticipated to create a significant
demand for skilled workers in the
traditional trades to address deferred
maintenance at properties managed
by NPS (principally) and also the
USDA Forest Service, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land
Management, and Bureau of Indian
Education. Using a small portion of
the billions of dollars that will
become available under the law for
traditional trades training would be a
strategic investment to address an
immediate need as well as a way of
having a lasting positive impact on
the current shortage of traditional
trades craftspeople.
—Promote traditional trades training in
the work of conservation corps. Used
by federal agencies, Indian tribes,
states, and local communities,
conservation corps engage young
adults and veterans in service projects
addressing recreation, conservation,
disaster response, and other needs.
While many corps focus principally
on natural resources, conservation
corps also assist in the preservation of
historic properties, with a few
focusing solely on historic
preservation projects. Such projects
offer important opportunities to
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introduce corps members to the
traditional trades and provide
training. Federal land-managing
agencies should set an example by
maximizing use of conservation corps
to address historic preservation needs
on public lands.
—Explore use of COVID–19 recovery/
stimulus funding to create jobs and
job training in the traditional trades.
Much of COVID–19 recovery funding
to date has focused on direct aid for
individuals, businesses,
organizations, and institutions
(including museums and non-profits),
and funding for agencies to directly
respond to the pandemic. If future
legislation is passed that addresses
economic recovery from COVID–19
more broadly, there may be
opportunities to support traditional
trades training as part of enhanced
funding for existing programs or
creation of new programs. For
instance, any new or augmented
programs to create affordable housing
might incorporate job training for
local residents in the rehabilitation of
existing older housing stock. New
programs might build—both literally
and figuratively—upon the example
of Depression-era public works
programs. Buildings and structures
created by the Works Progress
Administration and Civilian
Conservation Corps are now historic
properties, and a program to train
youth in restoring those properties
would be one economic stimulus
program restoring the work of
another.
—Utilize the Historic Preservation Fund
(HPF) for traditional trades training
grants, as authorized by the NHPA.
The NHPA authorizes the Department
of the Interior (DOI) to administer a
grants program for ‘‘the training and
development of skilled labor in trades
and crafts, and in analysis and
curation, relating to historic
preservation’’ (54 U.S.C. 302904). The
funding source is the HPF. This
skilled labor component of the HPF
remains to be funded. DOI should
seek funding to support this grants
program in future fiscal year budget
requests.
—Explore development of sustainable,
dedicated funding that would be a
continuing source of revenue for
traditional trades training. While
funding from the HPF for traditional
trades training already is authorized
and would help in combatting the
current shortage of craftspeople, there
are other important programs
competing for HPF dollars. Creation
of dedicated, sustainable sources of
funding specifically for traditional
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 216 / Friday, November 6, 2020 / Notices
trades training would be a significant
step forward. Such funding should be
established not only at the federal
level but also through state and local
government action. The shape that
such funding might take and the ways
in which the federal government
might support it merit further
development and consideration. The
ACHP should promote a dialogue on
the issue with key partners, including
DOI, the National Conference of State
Historic Preservation Officers, the
National Association of State
Workforce Agencies, Certified Local
Governments, the National Alliance of
Preservation Commissions, and the
National Trust for Historic
Preservation.
Traditional trades are critically
important to preserving the heritage of
our historic built environment for future
generations. They also can translate into
secure, well-paying jobs that help
revitalize communities both physically
and economically. Expanding training
opportunities and networks in the
traditional trades is essential. It is
critical to do what we can to enable this
important field to expand into pathways
that are available to the American
worker.
Wide ranging in lines of expertise, it
is the skilled craftworker who is making
preservation happen through hands-on
and on-site work. The connection to
preservation is the central theme that
brings many different skill sets together.
It is the contract worker, the stone
mason, the woodcrafter, the conservator,
the trade union member, the craft guild
member, maintenance crews, and
building managers—all preserving on a
daily basis.
Placing trust with the decision
making on the qualified tradesperson or
providing the opportunity to share the
responsibility at the preservation job
site with both the preservation
professional and the skilled
tradesperson empowers this field. By
broadening this vision of the
preservation expert—the skilled
craftworker—the ACHP has adopted this
policy statement to encourage and help
guide efforts and partnerships to
address this urgent need while offering
rewarding careers and professional
fulfillment.
Authority: 54 U.S.C. 304102.
[FR Doc. 2020–24645 Filed 11–5–20; 8:45 am]
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[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 216 (Friday, November 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71082-71085]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-24645]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Notice of Adoption of Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of
Traditional Trades Training
AGENCY: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
ACTION: Notice of adoption of policy statement on promotion and value
of traditional trades training.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has adopted
Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional Trades Training.
DATES: The policy statement was adopted on October 19, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Address any questions concerning the policy statement to
Druscilla J. Null, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 401 F
Street NW, Suite 308, Washington, DC 20001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Druscilla J. Null, (202) 517-1487,
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation (ACHP), an independent federal agency created by the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), works to promote the
preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation's diverse
historic resources, and advises the President and the Congress on
national historic preservation policy.
One of the ACHP's statutory duties under the NHPA is to encourage
training and education in the field of historic preservation. In
keeping with that mandate, at its November 7, 2019, business meeting,
the ACHP initiated discussions regarding traditional trades training.
America is suffering from a shortage of skilled workers in the
specialized traditional trades often required for historic preservation
projects. Expanding opportunities for traditional trades training would
be an important step in addressing this problem. Doing so is critical
to the maintenance of our nation's historic places and to filling jobs
that will help revitalize communities both physically and economically.
At its March 13, 2020, business meeting, the ACHP further explored
traditional trades training and discussed the possibility of creating a
task force to address the issue. The idea of developing a policy
statement on the topic also was discussed. On May 28, 2020, ACHP
Chairman Aimee Jorjani announced the creation of the ACHP Traditional
Trades Training Task Force (Task Force). One of its stated goals was to
develop recommendations for federal action that could be embodied in a
formal ACHP policy statement.
The Task Force includes representatives of several federal agencies
and individuals with historic preservation, education, and architecture
expertise. In addition to ACHP Chairman Jorjani and ACHP Vice Chairman
Rick Gonzalez, the following agencies and organizations are represented
on the Task Force: The Department of the Interior; Department of
Education; National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center;
National Park Service Western Center for Historic Preservation;
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training; National
Endowment for the Arts; National Trust for Historic Preservation;
Preservation Maryland; Savannah Technical College; and Turner
Restoration of Detroit.
Based on Task Force meeting discussions throughout the summer and
fall, ACHP staff developed a draft policy statement that was reviewed
by the Task Force. Based upon input on the outline, a draft of the
policy statement was developed and provided to both the Task Force and
the ACHP's standing Preservation Initiatives Committee for review.
Following further refinement, the draft policy statement was sent to
the full ACHP membership for review. The final version of the policy
statement was adopted by vote of the ACHP members on October 19, 2020.
The ACHP Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional
Trades Training discusses the need for and the benefits of expanded
traditional trades training; suggests key principles that should guide
federal, state, and local workforce development and training efforts;
and offers recommendations for action.
Text of the Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional
Trades Training
What follows is the text of the adopted policy statement:
ACHP Policy Statement on Promotion and Value of Traditional Trades
Training
Quality restoration work on historic buildings requires skilled
workers in the traditional trades. Masons, carpenters, painters,
plasterers, and others in the construction trades who know how to--and
why we should--preserve, repair, replicate, and maintain historic
materials and finishes are essential to historic preservation projects.
However, the unfortunate reality is that there is an increasingly short
supply of such craftspeople. More recognizable opportunities for
workforce development and training in the traditional trades not only
would help address this problem critical to the maintenance of our
nation's historic places, but also would contribute to economic
recovery and wellbeing through career pathways that benefit local
communities.
The importance and value of the skilled craftworker and the need to
support traditional trades training has been recognized in the historic
preservation field for many years. The National Trust for Historic
Preservation addressed the issue in its 1968 Whitehill Report on
Professional and Public Education for Historic Preservation and
revisited it almost 40 years later in a 2005 issue of its Forum Journal
titled ``Building Trades Education in the 21st Century.'' The National
Park Service (NPS) also addressed the importance of traditional trades
training in a 1997 issue of its publication Cultural Resource
Management titled ``Preservation Trades and Crafts: Working in
Preservation and Fostering the Trades.'' In the years since these
publications were issued, with an aging workforce and building stock,
the need to increase the number of skilled craftspeople has only become
more acute.
The federal government can play an important role in promoting
traditional trades training. NPS already makes a significant
contribution through the work of the agency's Historic Preservation
Training Center, Western Center for Historic Preservation, and National
Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Expanding the scope
and scale of traditional trades
[[Page 71083]]
training in America will require broadening federal engagement.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), an
independent federal agency created by the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), works to promote the preservation,
enhancement, and sustainable use of our nation's diverse historic
resources, and advises the President and the Congress on national
historic preservation policy. One of the ACHP's stated duties in the
NHPA is to encourage training and education in the field of historic
preservation. In this policy statement, the ACHP discusses the need for
and the benefits of expanded traditional trades training; suggests key
principles that should guide federal, state, and local workforce
development and training efforts; and offers recommendations for
action.
Scope of Need and Potential Benefits of Expanded Training
The recent societal trend to devalue the skilled trades as an
alternative to college and a worthwhile career path has led to a
shortage of new workers entering the construction trades. This is
occurring at the same time that many in the existing workforce are
retiring. According to a 2019 survey by the Associated General
Contractors of America, 80 percent of construction firms reported
having difficulty in filling craft positions that represent the bulk of
the construction workforce. Similarly, a survey by the National
Association of Home Builders found 82 percent of respondents expected
labor shortages to be their top issue in 2019. This lack of skilled
workers is further magnified for the specialized traditional trades
often needed for historic preservation projects.
The relative scarcity of skilled workers in the traditional trades
is brought into sharp relief in the wake of natural disasters. After
addressing immediate emergency issues, full rehabilitation of damaged
historic buildings is often delayed or compromised because of a lack of
craftspeople who have expertise working with historic building
materials.
Despite this shortage, various public policies promote historic
preservation projects that require skilled traditional trades
craftspeople. For instance, the Great American Outdoors Act signed into
law in 2020 will provide up to $9.5 billion in funding for deferred
maintenance within NPS and at other federal facilities. Historic
buildings make up about 46 percent of the NPS deferred maintenance
backlog, and their repair will boost the demand for skilled workers in
the traditional trades. Another relevant policy example is
incentivizing preservation through tax credits. The federal Historic
Tax Credit for rehabilitation of income-producing historic properties
and similar historic tax credits in 37 states require that projects
meet quality standards (generally the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation). Meeting such standards often requires
work by craftspeople trained in the traditional trades.
Growing the ranks of skilled traditional trades workers would help
to build preservation capacity in the construction trades and ensure
that precious historic resources are preserved for future generations.
Expanded traditional trades training also would bolster local
economies, helping to fill vacant jobs. Enhancing traditional trades
training opportunities--notably for youth and veterans--would allow
people to acquire marketable knowledge, skills, and abilities that
employers are seeking. Resulting jobs often are well-paid and secure.
Median wages in construction have been outpacing the national median
wage, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Additionally, the current shortage of traditional trades workers
coupled with projected continued demand will provide new entrants into
those trades with considerable job security.
Framework for Expanding Traditional Trades Training
The effectiveness of efforts to expand training opportunities in
the traditional trades will be maximized if grounded upon the following
key concepts.
--Training opportunities in the traditional trades should be widely
available. There should be national and regional traditional trades
training opportunities with a variety of options and pathways of
different durations (immersion, apprenticeships, degree programs) and
educational levels (high school, vocational school, community college,
college) in order to maximize the number of new workers entering the
field. Tradespeople already working in related fields also should have
opportunities to add traditional trades expertise to their skill set.
Likewise, craftspeople already in the traditional trades would benefit
from continuing education opportunities.
--Importance of open-source training curriculum. Each traditional
trades training program currently has to create its own curriculum.
This problem of reinventing the wheel would be minimized if open-source
curriculum options were available. Standardized programs of study that
could be tailored to unique local needs would ease creation of training
programs, make them more sustainable, and encourage the growth of a
community of instructors in such programs.
--Apprenticeship programs are essential. By its very nature,
traditional trades training requires hands-on instruction and
mentoring. Apprenticeships provide that gateway for entry-level
students to learn from experienced craftspeople. They can alleviate the
burden of student loans. Apprenticeships also are a key way of matching
students with the companies that need their services for direct job
placement.
--Importance of industry-recognized credentials and/or qualification
standards. Currently, there are no third-party credentialing
organizations bestowing credentials for the traditional trades and no
specific qualification standards that must be met in order to claim
proficiency. Such formal recognition verifies a person's competence in
their chosen skill, is sought after by employers, and would be
advantageous for traditional trades craftspeople seeking to document
their expertise. Credentialing would be a significant step toward
enhancing the stature of traditional trades craftspeople relative to
the other professionals (architectural historians, architects,
engineers, etc.) who collaborate to restore and rehabilitate historic
properties.
Recommendations for Federal Action
The federal government can play an important role in promoting
traditional trades training and workforce development. The following
recommendations address both use of existing federal programs and
consideration of new policies and programs.
--Integrate traditional trades into existing Department of Labor (DOL)
apprenticeship programs. DOL oversees the National Apprenticeship
Program, a system of registered apprenticeships implemented by DOL and
state apprenticeship agencies that in 2020 was supplemented with a new
model of industry-recognized apprenticeships. There are significant
untapped opportunities to accommodate and encourage traditional trades
apprenticeships in this national apprenticeship framework. DOL should
include traditional trades in its Occupational Information Network
Program and the
[[Page 71084]]
Standard Occupational Classification Codes upon which that program is
based.
--Encourage states to use existing Department of Education (ED) career
and technical education funding for traditional trades training in
state Perkins plans. Under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act, ED awards more than $1 billion a year in state formula
grants and competitive discretionary grants for the improvement of
career and technical education programs across the nation. While
decisions about how the money is spent rests at the state and local
level, there is ED oversight of state plans and implementation. In that
context, ED should pursue opportunities to advise states on the
potential benefits of traditional trades training in meeting the labor
market need for such craftspeople.
--Encourage recipients of existing Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) funding to address traditional trades training when
meeting workforce development requirements. Under Section 3 of the
Housing and Urban Development Act, recipients of certain HUD financial
assistance must, to the greatest extent feasible, provide job training,
employment, and contracting opportunities for low- or very-low income
residents in connection with projects and activities in their
neighborhoods. To meet Section 3 requirements, HUD grantees and their
contractors sometimes run or participate in training and apprenticeship
programs that prepare community residents for jobs. HUD should pursue
opportunities to encourage addressing the traditional trades,
particularly for projects involving historic properties and the
rehabilitation of affordable housing.
--Consider options for federal support in development of open-source
traditional trades training curriculum. NPS's Historic Preservation
Training Center, Western Center for Historic Preservation, and National
Center for Preservation Technology and Training are logical focal
points for a federal response to the need for traditional trades
training curriculum, with development work either being done in-house
or through contracts. As a first step, there should be a review of
existing programs and curriculum to serve as a baseline for next steps
in curriculum development. Once curriculum is developed, federal
support might also assist in ``training the trainers'' to help
institutions and individuals become familiar with the curriculum.
--Develop federal qualification standards for the traditional trades.
As directed by the NHPA, the Secretary of the Interior has developed
advisory Historic Preservation Professional Qualification Standards
(Qualification Standards). The intent is to assist federal agencies in
ensuring that the employees and contractors responsible for
preservation of federally managed historic properties have the
knowledge, skills, and abilities to do so effectively. Published in
1983, the Qualification Standards focus on the academic disciplines of
history, archaeology, architectural history, architecture, and historic
architecture, as identified in the NHPA. Left unaddressed is the
competency of the craftspeople in the traditional trades performing the
work of applying the preservation treatments. NPS should include the
traditional trades in any future revision of the Secretary's
Qualification Standards or should explore development of a parallel set
of standards that could be used to assess and document proficiency in
the traditional trades.
--Include traditional trades training in implementation of the Great
American Outdoors Act. The passage of the Great American Outdoors Act
is anticipated to create a significant demand for skilled workers in
the traditional trades to address deferred maintenance at properties
managed by NPS (principally) and also the USDA Forest Service, Fish and
Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian
Education. Using a small portion of the billions of dollars that will
become available under the law for traditional trades training would be
a strategic investment to address an immediate need as well as a way of
having a lasting positive impact on the current shortage of traditional
trades craftspeople.
--Promote traditional trades training in the work of conservation
corps. Used by federal agencies, Indian tribes, states, and local
communities, conservation corps engage young adults and veterans in
service projects addressing recreation, conservation, disaster
response, and other needs. While many corps focus principally on
natural resources, conservation corps also assist in the preservation
of historic properties, with a few focusing solely on historic
preservation projects. Such projects offer important opportunities to
introduce corps members to the traditional trades and provide training.
Federal land-managing agencies should set an example by maximizing use
of conservation corps to address historic preservation needs on public
lands.
--Explore use of COVID-19 recovery/stimulus funding to create jobs and
job training in the traditional trades. Much of COVID-19 recovery
funding to date has focused on direct aid for individuals, businesses,
organizations, and institutions (including museums and non-profits),
and funding for agencies to directly respond to the pandemic. If future
legislation is passed that addresses economic recovery from COVID-19
more broadly, there may be opportunities to support traditional trades
training as part of enhanced funding for existing programs or creation
of new programs. For instance, any new or augmented programs to create
affordable housing might incorporate job training for local residents
in the rehabilitation of existing older housing stock. New programs
might build--both literally and figuratively--upon the example of
Depression-era public works programs. Buildings and structures created
by the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps
are now historic properties, and a program to train youth in restoring
those properties would be one economic stimulus program restoring the
work of another.
--Utilize the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) for traditional trades
training grants, as authorized by the NHPA. The NHPA authorizes the
Department of the Interior (DOI) to administer a grants program for
``the training and development of skilled labor in trades and crafts,
and in analysis and curation, relating to historic preservation'' (54
U.S.C. 302904). The funding source is the HPF. This skilled labor
component of the HPF remains to be funded. DOI should seek funding to
support this grants program in future fiscal year budget requests.
--Explore development of sustainable, dedicated funding that would be a
continuing source of revenue for traditional trades training. While
funding from the HPF for traditional trades training already is
authorized and would help in combatting the current shortage of
craftspeople, there are other important programs competing for HPF
dollars. Creation of dedicated, sustainable sources of funding
specifically for traditional
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trades training would be a significant step forward. Such funding
should be established not only at the federal level but also through
state and local government action. The shape that such funding might
take and the ways in which the federal government might support it
merit further development and consideration. The ACHP should promote a
dialogue on the issue with key partners, including DOI, the National
Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National
Association of State Workforce Agencies, Certified Local Governments,
the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions, and the National
Trust for Historic Preservation.
Traditional trades are critically important to preserving the
heritage of our historic built environment for future generations. They
also can translate into secure, well-paying jobs that help revitalize
communities both physically and economically. Expanding training
opportunities and networks in the traditional trades is essential. It
is critical to do what we can to enable this important field to expand
into pathways that are available to the American worker.
Wide ranging in lines of expertise, it is the skilled craftworker
who is making preservation happen through hands-on and on-site work.
The connection to preservation is the central theme that brings many
different skill sets together. It is the contract worker, the stone
mason, the woodcrafter, the conservator, the trade union member, the
craft guild member, maintenance crews, and building managers--all
preserving on a daily basis.
Placing trust with the decision making on the qualified
tradesperson or providing the opportunity to share the responsibility
at the preservation job site with both the preservation professional
and the skilled tradesperson empowers this field. By broadening this
vision of the preservation expert--the skilled craftworker--the ACHP
has adopted this policy statement to encourage and help guide efforts
and partnerships to address this urgent need while offering rewarding
careers and professional fulfillment.
Authority: 54 U.S.C. 304102.
Dated: November 2, 2020.
Javier Marqu[eacute]s,
General Counsel.
[FR Doc. 2020-24645 Filed 11-5-20; 8:45 am]
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