"Michael P. Edison" wrote:

> ..............We can also provide training in the use of our systems.
> But who would pay for training craftspeople in traditional skills?
>

This cost should be part of each and every project taken on by a contractor or
individual trades person. The idea of continuing education is critical for
everyone, no matter what their field of work might be. The Preservation Trades
Network and the event, the International Preservation Trades Workshop, is one
large formal step in that direction for hands-on people in the historic
preservation field.  If the main effort for training does not come from the
community it is suppose to service then the training will not hit its target.
It is less than productive for some person without field experience or actual
material knowledge to try to teach people how something is suppose to be done
in the real on-site world. This training must come from individuals that
actually have the experience. Also, people working in the various trades should
be looking out for other people in the field that they can help mentor as well
as to keep an eye out for individuals to be mentors for themselves. In this
regard we all can learn from each other. Another issue is the need to break the
isolation and enemy attitude that the low bid based procurement methods of
contract awarding creates. There are many versions of the marketing method as
described by Paul Eldrenkamp as brought to our attention by Bill Rose. The
bottom line of Paul's article was to tell contractors and trades people that it
is OK to make your own rules, plenty of people do, and are successful at it .
If that is not done and low bid is how you work, then there will not be enough
money for training. Training is an on-going day to day activity that must be
funded by the projects themselves. I am sure that AIA affiliated architectural
firms or individual architects try to charge enough to allow them to meet their
AIA continuing learning credits. This is appropriate and the same type of
process is also true for doctors, lawyers, HASMAT handlers, truck drivers,
government workers, auto mechanics, dishwasher repair technicians
..................  isn't the continuing learning / education certificates part
of how some people or groups help their marketing efforts?

I'm not trying to be snotty, just expressing some thoughts.

Bryan