Rural Trades Network
The widespread shortage of skills in the rural and heritage trades is nationally acknowledged. The increasing scarcity of appropriately qualified, skilled labour in the Yorkshire Dales and surrounding rural areas is already having an effect on the area's capacity to resource local conservation and heritage projects.
A sustainable future for the landscapes and habitats of the Dales, and for traditional structures such as barns and walls, depends upon the availability of people with a wide range of specialist craft and conservation skills - skills that are increasingly difficult to find.
The Rural Trades Network is a free online internet resource that is designed to boost the rural economy and tackle local skills shortages in the building, heritage, and land-based sectors. It provides a rural trades communication network in the Yorkshire Dales that:
- gives rural businesses an opportunity to market their own services, advertise vacancies or temporary labour shortages.
- allows individuals to promote themselves according to their location, skills and availability in the local employment market.
- allows people to register their need for a tradesperson along with details of the project type, location and timescales.
- introduces registered users to a range of business support services and suppliers.
- supports and develops employment and training opportunities in rural trades, countryside skills and conservation
It is available for use by householders, rural tradespeople, employers, and training providers and provides a means of matching individuals' needs with contractors or employers who can provide these specialist skills. With over 160 registered users and an average of 5000 hits on the website per month the Rural Trades Network is proving to be an invaluable resource for rural businesses and communities. The Rural Trades Network is funded by Craven College and managed by the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust.
For more information please contact the project team.
