New CIOB certification recognises conservation

Historic architecture in William Brown St Liverpool UK

The CIOB has launched a new certificate in conservation following demand from members for a recognised qualification.

The CIOB Building Conservation Certification Scheme has been developed in association with English Heritage, the National Trust, Historic Scotland and the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, Cadw.

There are three levels of competency within the scheme, each with different entry requirements and a level-specific certificate.

These levels include CIOB Registered in Building Conservation, which gives professionals with some experience and knowledge in the area of heritage and conservation recognition for their expertise.

For those with significant experience of traditional buildings including listed buildings and scheduled monuments, there is the CIOB Proficient in Building Conservation level of competency.

The final level is CIOB Certified Building Conservation Specialist which is for experts in the field with a deep understanding of the significance and historic value of buildings and the philosophy of building conservation.

The scheme acts also a pathway for individuals who want to progress their career in this area as they gain additional qualifications and experience. The CIOB Academy has set out to support the industry with a two-day “Understanding building conservation” course which supports this scheme.

With 25% of the UK’s building stock dating to pre-1919, most construction professionals will work on historic buildings at some point during their career, which makes it vital that the right skills and competencies are recognised.

Rebecca Thompson, CIOB president, said: “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.” 

For more information see http://www.ciob.org/ciob-building-conservation-certification-scheme

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