NETWORK OF TRAINING CENTERS
Network of Training Centres in Traditional Building Crafts and Heritage Restoration
Within the framework of the 2022 work plan of the National Reference Centre for Crafts, the Network of Training Centres in Traditional Building Crafts and Heritage Restoration was established in collaboration with INTBAU Spain and the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation (TBCF).
This network forms part of the Spanish Network of Traditional Building Crafts Masters, developed by the TBCF, and its main objective is to connect institutions that provide training in traditional building trades, increase their visibility, and foster stronger links and synergies among them.
First meeting in March 2023
As a first step, an initial meeting was held in Granada, bringing together the main centers with consolidated experience in training in traditional building techniques in Spain: CRN Artesanía – Centro Albayzín, Escuela del Mármol de Fines, Escuela de Formación de Artesanos de Gelves “Escuela della Robbia”, Museo de la Cal de Morón, Centro de Interpretación de la Carpintería Mudéjar de Ávila (CICMA), Cearcal, Centro de Oficios y Artes Plásticas de León, Homo Faber, Asociación Greta, and Escuela de Herreros. The participation of Escola de Canteiros de Poio and Escola Origens was also proposed, although they were unable to attend this initial meeting.
During this meeting—the first of its kind in this field—each center presented its objectives, organizational structure, training programmes, and specific needs. The participants also agreed on a series of actions to strengthen networking among training centers and to improve coordination between their educational programmes, with the aim of establishing shared foundations that would not only ensure high-quality training but also, where possible, allow for future accreditation through the National Catalogue of Professional Qualifications (CNCP).
Objectives
The initial objectives established for the Network of Training Centers were:
– To raise awareness of and enhance the recognition of traditional trades and the heritage associated with them. To this end, it was proposed to improve communication efforts and to develop awareness-raising activities and good practices in primary and secondary schools, universities, and other institutions.
– To improve the identification of training demand in order to better align new training provision with professional competencies.
– To create tools that can facilitate and promote access to both public and private funding for the development of training activities.
– To develop a system that allows centers to stay better informed about each other’s activities and to make their training offer more accessible.
– To improve training opportunities and facilitate the accreditation of master craftspeople currently in practice.
Organizing Entities
The Network of Training Centers for Traditional Building Crafts and Heritage Restoration has been organized by the Escuela de Formación en Artesanía, Restauración y Rehabilitación del Patrimonio Histórico, Artístico y Cultural Albayzín (National Reference Centre for Crafts), the Traditional Building Cultures Foundation, and INTBAU Spain.