THE NORTH-west's historic buildings are under threat from a shortage of skilled craftspeople, according to research published by the National Heritage Training Group.
Backed by ConstructionSkills and English Heritage, the research found that 3,728 people currently work within the built heritage sector in the North-west on the repair and maintenance needs of some 848,000 pre-1919 historic buildings, including 33,561 listed buildings. But with 21 per cent of local contractors having outstanding vacancies, the industry needs to recruit almost 400 people at a local level in the next 12 months just to meet immediate demand.
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