>Came across this and thought I'd ask, did it happen?

John,

The answer to that is an unequivocal well yes, kinda, sort of. . .   In
1993, the National Park Service implemented the Preservation and Skills
Training (PAST) program for NPS maintenance employees at the WG/3-7 levels.
It was intended to supplement the existing 3-year preservation training
program at the Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, MD, (the
former WPTC).   The NPS 2001-2002 training catalog describes the program as
follows:

"During this two-year program participants receive basic instruction in
carpentry, masonry, and/or painting and will develop preservation skills in
one trade to the apprentice or intermediate level. Group training sessions
will be held out of the park at approximately six-month intervals. During
the remaining months, a mentor will work in the trainee’s park to provide
hands on instruction on repairing and maintaining park historic structures.
Participants complete a total of 640 hours of training during the two-year
period."

The PAST program was modeled, in part, on a regional preservation skills
training program that the NPS Northeast Region developed and managed from
about 1977-1995, based on mentoring, project work, and independent studies
by program participants.  A number of graduates of the NE Region program
are still around years later, having progressed very successfully in their
careers to being Chiefs of Maintenance and park-based Preservation
Specialists.  The NE Region program was shut down, due to a Washington
Office determination that there could only be one preservation skills
training program, which had to be managed on a servicewide basis.  (A
proposal to revive the NE Region preservation skills trainin program in
2001 was dismissed by regional office staff on the basis that "maintenance
workers don't need preservation training").

I was one of the15 mentors for the first PAST group, and I think it was
very successful in one respect.  Most of the people that came into the
program were incredibly eager and receptive to the idea of learning new
skills.  They were smart, and worked really hard, and picked up really fast
on everything from preservation philosophy to mixing the right repointing
mortar.  They got a taste of the "why" and "how" of doing preservation
work, went back to their parks, and in most instances, ended up right back
where they were -- mowing, painting, and cleaning campgrounds.   There is
probably no other outcome that could be anticipated given NPS funding
levels, but it's also a classic case of my contention that it's much easier
to train people than bureaucracies.

The NPS manages more that 24,000 historic structures . . . there's plenty
of work out there.

Lisa


> [Original Message]
> From: John Callan <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: 2/14/2003 9:58:02 AM
> Subject: Decade old "IF
>
> Been reading a lot of thoughts about HSR's and CLR's.  Came across this
> and thought I'd ask, did it happen?
>
> "If in 1993 the program is successful in enrolling a class of 30, and
> the preservation skills training is continued for 10 years, the
> national park system will have at least one certified graduate for
> every park containing a historic structure by the year 2003."
>
> (I wonder if the author will remember writing this.)
>
> --
> To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
> uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
> <http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>

--
To terminate puerile preservation prattling among pals and the
uncoffee-ed, or to change your settings, go to:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/bullamanka-pinheads.html>