New traditional skills training centre wins lottery support

A new national training centre for Scotland focused on traditional skills has secured £3.7m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Scotland’s Centre of Excellence for Canals & Traditional Skills will be based near Lock 16 on the banks of the Forth & Clyde Canal in Falkirk. 

“Scotland has a proud heritage of traditional skills, and the valuable work planned at Lock 16 will ensure these skills are preserved, passed on, and used to support our historic environment for generations to come,” said culture secretary Angus Robertson.

“This investment highlights the power of collaboration and demonstrates our shared commitment to empower people with the skills they need for the future.”

The centre, a collaboration between Historic Environment Scotland and Scottish Canals, will focus on creating career pathways into historical skills training, voluntary work, and employment in the historic environment sector.

“We are delighted to secure this crucial funding from the National Heritage Fund,” said John Paterson, the CEO of Scottish Canals. “The project will support workplace learning and apprenticeship training programmes developing new opportunities for the people of Falkirk and beyond.”

Historic Environment Scotland CEO Katerina Brown said: “We have been championing Scotland’s traditional skills sector for some time, and this funding is warmly welcomed. It is an important step in helping us to provide further provision for key skills which are at risk without support and investment from the sector and beyond, and to help us on our collective journey to preserve these skills for future generations.”

A range of activities will help develop a template for skills development work across the country.

As the National Lottery celebrates its 30th birthday, this investment marks a major funding milestone by taking the Heritage Fund investment in Scotland to more than £1bn. 

“Thanks to National Lottery players we are very pleased to be able to support this important work, saving our traditional skills from loss,” said Caroline Clark, the Heritage Fund director for Scotland. 

“I can’t think of a better project to received our £1 billionth pound spent in Scotland – marking 30 years of investment in over 5,000 projects which have helped to protect and celebrate Scotland’s incredible heritage.”