Skills Survey for Historic Environment Employers

Closes 30 Jun 2025

Opened 23 Apr 2025

Contact

skills@hes.scot

Overview

As an employer, sole trader or organisation in the heritage sector, it is vital that we hear your views on your organisation's skills needs and gaps, and the accessibility and appropriateness of training provision, to help monitor the skills health of the sector and feed into planning for programmes of support for the sector.

The Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment (SIP) was published in April 2024 following consultation with the sector and its partners. As part of the consultation, we undertook a skills sector survey in 2023. On the first anniversary of the publication of the SIP, we are reissuing a refined version of the survey to enable us to monitor the skills health of the sector, to track trends and to prioritise actions.

Who do we want to hear from?

We want to hear from sole traders, employers of any size, and other organisations that work in the following areas:

  • Archaeology
  • Architecture, engineering, planning, surveying in a heritage context and with a conservation approach
  • Archives and libraries
  • Conservation art and artefacts
  • Heritage science
  • Heritage tourism
  • Historic landscapes and gardens
  • Industrial heritage
  • Museums and galleries
  • Traditional building skills and materials

There are plans for each of these work areas with priorities and actions that feed into the overarching SIP actions.

What is the Skills Investment Plan (SIP)?

The SIP is a collective framework for collaborative action. The overarching goal of the SIP is to ensure that the operation and growth of the historic environment is not constrained by lack of suitable and appropriate talent, through its three priorities:

  • Priority 1: Growing Provision and Building Capacity
  • Priority 2: Attracting Future Talent and Improving Access
  • Priority 3: Fostering Innovation

To do this, we are working with numerous partners across the sector with a systems-based approach to look at what a sustainable skills ecosystem looks like, to identify existing elements that can be built upon, and to determine what gaps need to be addressed.

To find out more about the activity that has been happening and is planned, you can read the One Year Report on the HES website. 

Why your views matter

Your views and experience helped create the Skills Investment Plan.

Your opinions are vital to ensure the SIP remains fit for purpose and we can continue to advocate for the skills the sector needs. By responding to this survey, you will be able to have an input in the direction of the Skills Investment Plan for the next four years.

Give us your views

Online Survey