Letter: Old skills vital

The announcement that the Scottish Government will create 30 new apprenticeships in traditional building skills (your report, 21 March) is hugely welcome.

Historic buildings are a key asset to the Scottish economy and a particularly crucial part of the infrastructure contributing to a successful Scottish tourist industry. They require ongoing care, maintenance and sensitive upgrading to preserve them for the benefit of generations to come.

We need to foster the traditional building skills needed to safeguard our historic built environment and investment in apprenticeship opportunities is a crucial way of achieving this, giving a fresh new generation of people the opportunity to hone their skills in the traditional craft trades.

Given that 19 per cent of Scottish housing stock is composed of traditional buildings, there is also an important contribution to be made to tackling climate change by improving insulation and overall energy efficiency in these buildings. Far from being old-fashioned or uneconomic, promotion of traditional building skills will make an important contribution to sustainable economic growth, ensuring our historic built environment continues to make a positive contribution to maintaining the vibrancy of Scottish tourism and culture over many years to come.

Jacqui Hepburn

Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in Scotland

Castle Street

Edinburgh