PDSMInc wins grant for pilot Heritage Skills Initiative

  Some of the shed volunteers ready to learn

PdmsInc has been successful in winning some grant monies from Parramatta City Council (Community capacity building) for the development of a pilot program to develop heritage skill sets required in the Parramatta North Urban Transformation project area.

The executive of PDMSInc realised that here is a massive skills shortage for heritage restoration and in particular for brick pointing and sash window repair.

Over several months of meetings and discussions we are now well advanced in forming a collaboration with TAFE, Parramatta Skills Exchange to develop a program of providing initial training of local youth in these skills.

The concept is that TAFE will source the youth and provide education in on-site safety and basic tool use. This training will be nationally accredited so the youth actually walk away with some skill sets to make them more employable.

PDMSInc will then work in a mentor role with these youth to provide them with very basic skills in brick pointing and sash

  Some of the tools and specialised equipment

window repair.

So our men met on Tuesday 4th July with Mr Donald Elsmore (Heritage Architect and convenor of the Australasia Chapter for the Association for Preservation Technology International (APT)) for the first installment of getting our volunteers ready as mentors and trainers in the basics of heritage brick pointing and sash window repair.

  HERITAGE SKILLS INITIATIVE

Donald provided our members with a very detailed and interesting history of lime used as cement and why it is so important to use original techniques in modern day repair work of heritage buidlings. All of our volunteers also looked on as Donald showed how lime is prepared for use as mortar and we then examined a small section of brick wall to see first hand the deterioration and type of repair needed.

Our shed is getting close to completing a pilot program with TAFE and PSE with our first focus on providing some community based enlightenment sessions on the importance of heritage repair.

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR THESE EVENTS

THANK YOU PCC for enabling our shed to start such important community work.

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