Jennifer Goodman is the executive director of N.H. Preservation Alliance. Dr. Jada Lindblom is a community and economic development field specialist for UNH Cooperative Extension,

Across New Hampshire and the Northeast, a growing number of older homes and historic community landmarks are in dire need of maintenance and repair or rehabilitation and can’t get it. The craftspeople that have specialized knowledge in preservation and restoration techniques and an in-depth understanding of how to work with traditional materials are dwindling.

A new research report documents a growing crisis in the building trades and identifies promising trends and concepts to help reverse the decline. The report was prepared by the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension for a collaboration of four statewide historic preservation non-profit organizations. The N.H. Preservation Alliance, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Maine Preservation and the Preservation League of New York State sponsored the study and are committed to working with others to find solutions.

Key findings of the study’s workforce survey include:

■There are severe workforce shortages in plastering, masonry, carpentry, materials conservation, decorative finishes, windows, and ironwork.

■More than one-third of survey respondents reported that their clients must wait a year or more for their services.

■75% of respondents believe the demand for preservation trades is growing.

■88% of respondents feel that training programs could play a greater role in recruitment and workforce development.

■93% of survey respondents agree that young people lack knowledge about career possibilities in preservation trades.

However, the survey also found that these careers can be highly rewarding. 96% of tradespeople who responded to the workforce survey reported satisfaction in their careers. These jobs can be particularly engaging due to their creative qualities and connections to academic disciplines like history, engineering, chemistry, and art.

And old buildings aren’t just filled with nostalgia. They are part of vibrant communities that house people, give places engaging character and draw businesses and visitors. Investment in them keeps more money circulating in local economies than new construction, and rehabilitation and care of old places conserves the energy used to make them and avoids the environmental costs of new development.

Several factors account for these workforce shortages. The current workforce is aging and retiring, and new people are not coming to replace them. Opportunities for youth to participate in “shop” classes during their schooling are diminishing. As a result, many young people lack the basic knowledge that could set them up to be interested and successful in these careers.

In recent decades, the study found, youth have been encouraged to attend four-year colleges, and trade career choices have commonly been stigmatized or less favored. Furthermore, students who do participate in trades education, such as through Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, are often directed toward new construction without learning about the restoration of older structures.

Yet there are positive signs. Trades are increasingly valued for the skills they require, and traditionally under-represented groups like women are more readily welcomed into the ranks. Preservation trades professionals note that a variety of educational pathways, including college education, trade schools, and apprenticeships, can lead to successful preservation trades careers. Ample mentorship and access to hands-on, field-based learning experiences are critical elements of trainee development.

The full research report, “Understanding and Advancing the Preservation Trades,” provides an overview of the current status of these professions in the Northeast, and offers a wealth of insights from tradespeople, educators, workforce development professionals, and preservation specialists. These perspectives together inform a variety of recommended actions suitable for individual practitioners, businesses, nonprofits, training programs, and other stakeholders who aim to strengthen the preservation trades workforce.

Understanding how to build upon the acknowledged strengths of these career paths and foster a robust future workforce are key concerns of the N.H. Preservation Alliance, Preservation Trust of Vermont, Maine Preservation and the Preservation League of New York State. These organizations, with an initiative named Northeast Regional Initiative for the Preservation Trades, plan to work collaboratively to develop action plans, engage new business and educational partners, and build awareness and enthusiasm for these notably creative, highly-rewarding, hands-on career paths.

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