Heritage skills development
Monuments under the control of Historic Environment Division (HED) are maintained by the Conservation Works Team, while Management Agreements can be implemented for other monuments. The Northern Ireland Countryside Scheme can give financial assistance towards the cost of upkeep of monuments of agricultural land.
Conservation works team
For the monuments in the care of HED, maintenance and repair are usually carried out by our Conservation Works Team headquartered in Moira. This includes a number of large and complex sites, such as Carrickfergus Castle and The Derry Walls. This team also delivers training in heritage skills in stonemasonry, joinery and blacksmithing through our Heritage Skills Centre based at our Moira Depot.
All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme
The All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme - The King's Foundation supports those working in the construction sector in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to continue on their journey to becoming the next generation of heritage craftspeople; and is increasing opportunities for everyone to get involved in heritage skills. The All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme is a partnership project between Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division, CITB NI, The Heritage Council, National Museums NI and The King’s Foundation. The programme is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players with further support from The Heritage Council and Department for Communities.
HED heritage skills apprenticeships
In 2025, Department for Communities announced the opening of the Heritage Skills Apprenticeships programme, the first internal recruitment of its kind to be launched by the department since 2000. This programme allows apprentices to join HED’s Conservation Works Team, learning traditional skills which will support the conservation of state care monuments.
Skills in the heritage sector in Northern Ireland
In 2009, the National Heritage Training Group in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) GB and CITB NI, published a report outlining the state of demand, supply and training provision within the built heritage sector across the whole of Ireland. This report was followed up by a publication in 2018 recapping 2009’s findings and providing an updated overview.