The IHBC has welcomed the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) Building Conservation Certification Scheme, developed following increased demand for certified conservation specialists across its membership and beyond.
IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly said: ‘The IHBC has always supported training initiatives and schemes that help raise the standards of practice across the full diversity of players in our built and historic environment. The launch of this new scheme by the CIOB, with its focus on skills development for those often most directly engaged with the fabric of our built heritage, marks a critical extension of those principles to its members.’
‘Recognising how critical energy efficiency is to sustainable conservation outcomes, as recognised in the relevant British Standard 7913, the IHBC is especially delighted to be able to offer its full support for the CIOB’s new programme.’
The CIOB writes:
With 25% of the UK’s building stock dating back to pre-1919, most construction professionals will work on historic buildings at some point during their career. This makes it vital that the right skills and competencies are recognised. The scheme has been developed in consultation with English Heritage, the National Trust, Historic Scotland and CADW (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service), and has been established for conservation specialists to gain recognition for their expertise and as a pathway for the next generation of specialists.
Applicants will have to demonstrate their competence against the International Conference on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Training and Education Guidelines as well as having an understanding of sustainability and energy efficiency.
The scheme is open to those who hold at least an HNC/HND in conservation and typically have three years’ relevant experience working as:
- Works supervisors or site managers.
- Building or quantity surveyors.
- Design coordinators or managers.
- Project or construction managers.
- Facilities or estates managers.
The scheme offers three levels of competence: Registered, Proficient and Certified, each with different entry requirements and offering a level-specific certificate.
Rebecca Thompson, CIOB President, said: ‘We need to hold onto our past and treasure it. Globally, people look to the UK for leadership on the art and science of conservation. We have a huge stock of old buildings that need to be maintained, adapted, restored and conserved and we must ensure that the industry has the right skills and that expertise is clearly benchmarked. The demand from clients and organisations in this space is for ‘certified’ experts and that is what our scheme provides.’
To purchase BS 7913 at a reduced rate see the IHBC website
To find out more and register an interest, see the CIOB website
For more on the Scheme see Designing Buildings Wiki
