I stumbled upon a Labour Relations Review Committee for the BC Ministry
of Labour(http://www.labour.gov.bc.ca/reviews/construc/welcome.htm)
where they completed an in depth analysis of the BC construction
industry.    While obviously favoring unions and the power of collective
bargaining, the report seems to identify skilled worker shortage
solutions that are not union based.  In Chapter 4, "Recommendation and
Conclusions", Section III. "Training and Equity Related Issues", the
panel recognizes the shortfalls of apprenticeship training.  They
suggest that employers and labor partner to create more comprehensive
skills training.  Perhaps it needs to be even broader.

They also mention a Business Roundtable conducted in the United States
found some "serious problems" within the American construction training
industry. Anyone hear of that?

While never suggesting unionization for preservation, organizing the
trade within a collective body is the purpose of PTN.  Thus, becoming
the organization that represents the historic preservationists requires
defining some criteria for participation.  And if that participation
criteria then becomes the broader criteria for experience expectations,
then how that experience is provided and acquired should be part of the
trade criteria. So, with governments recognizing the "collective body"
of a trade, the need to define training and educational opportunities
for craftspeople will become expected. The existing means for structured
skills training, i.e. apprenticeships, is the first step towards trade
recognition.  Yet as this BC report states, apprenticeships is not the
best or only means for structured training and education.  Since no one
has been through a full apprentice in historic preservation(Nov. '00
will be the first), this certainly does not suggest all professionals in
the field have not been trained properly.  No, rather it means that
those that have, have no defined means of identification.

With skilled craftspeople shortages in the US and elsewhere, coupled
with the fact of historic preservation up and coming as a defined
skilled trade, more diverse trade based training and educational
opportunities will need to provide that "career lattice".  Yes, trade
based.  No institutional or governmental, trade based with links to
educational institutions and organizations.  So the purpose of my muse
was to incite some discussion on unifying the trade, and how those
moving through their career lattice may have clearer trade based
opportunities.  Comments and info are certainly welcome.




Rob