Thatching Trainee

**Heritage Building Skills Programme Work Placement**

**Description and Person Specification**

**Work Placement Description**

Master Thatchers (North) Ltd is a specialist and longstanding thatching company, expert in reed and straw thatch roofing. This placement provides the opportunity to learn rare trade skills from talented in-house craftspeople. The company works across England, Scotland, Wales and occasionally in the Isle of Man.

As a trainee, you will work as part of a small specialist team of thatchers. The principal focus of the placement will be to assist skilled thatchers in their day-to-day work requiring support in all aspects of roofing projects from start to finish.

Trainees will attend a 4-week residential Summer School (end July to August, 2024), hosted by Historic England, where they will have the opportunity to integrate with other trainees, and specialists at Historic England, to share knowledge and practice conservation as an interdisciplinary activity.

**Placement Title**: Thatching Trainee

**Host Organisation**: Master Thatchers (North) Ltd

**Placement Supervisor**: Peter Brugge

**Location of placement**: based in Altrincham, Cheshire. (Various site locations)

**Salary**: £23,900 pro rata

**Period of Training**: 6 Months

**Start date**: 17th June 2024

**Completion date**: 17th December 2024

**Attendance**: 7:30 - 17:00 Monday - Friday including travel time.

**Overall Purpose of the Placement**:
This is a fixed-term, 6-month trainee role with Master Thatchers (North) Ltd, funded by Historic England. As a trainee, you will be learning the endangered heritage craft skill of thatching from experienced thatchers directly through on the job learning. In addition to observation and participation, you will also benefit from the theoretical learning and wealth of experience that Peter Brugge will bring to the role, as supervisor.

**Main Areas of Work**:
The Trainee may be required to perform other duties or tasks as may be reasonably requested by Master Thatchers (North) Ltd and will be expected to work within the Trainee Agreement. We are an equal opportunity company, which values diversity and inclusion. If you have a disability, we would be happy to discuss reasonable adjustments to the job with you.

Work will be outdoors in all weather conditions for the full duration, you must be confident working at height for this role.

**Person Specification**

**Knowledge**

Essential:

- Interest in traditional roofing techniques.
- Demonstrable understanding of health and safety requirements.

**Skills**

Essential:

- Demonstrable physical capability and dexterity to work with your hands. (Sometimes, in the course of a day’s work, you may cover 20,000 - 25,000 steps and be lifting and carrying 3 - 4 tonnes. Whilst great physical strength is not necessary, dogged determination is.)
- Proven ability to work at height and in a variety of weather conditions such as rain, high winds and snow. (Not in thunderstorms).
- Good communication skills, personable and able to build rapport with the team.
- Adaptable and flexible, able to work closely with others, and the ability to work on one’s own initiative.

Desirable:

- Driving license and own transport.
- Availability to work away on location.

**Experience**

Essential:

- Proven ability or enthusiasm to work in a physically demanding role, at height and in adverse weather conditions.
- Proven experience of punctuality and presentability.
- Proven ability to be self-motivated, able to take the initiative to support tasks without being prompted.

Desirable:

- Experience of working in the built environment or a desire to transfer skills into this area.

**Motivation**

Essential:

- An eagerness, commitment and passion to move into a career within the built heritage sector.
- Willingness to travel and work at various project sites.

**Application and Selection Procedure**

Please complete the required Application Form.

Historic England and Master Thatchers (North) Ltd reserves the right to change a Placement Specification description after consultation with the Trainee.

**Application Closing Date**:Sunday 14th April 2024

**Potential Interview Date**: 7th and 8th May 2024

**Job Types**: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 6 months

**Salary**: £23,900.00 per year

Schedule:

- Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

Expected start date: 17/06/2024