Heritage skills awarded

MORE than 20 waterway operatives in the North gained top marks in a Heritage Skills NVQ training qualification, after receiving funding through the Government's Train to Gain programme.

Each BW employee has been assessed by qualified heritage skills trainers from Craven College on their work portfolio. Masonry work consisting of repairs to lock walls and  the oak gate lock replacements, as well as joinery work including refurbishment of wooden lock floors and repairs to cills have featured.

Construction Skills Certificate

They have also been awarded the Construction Skills Certificate Scheme (CSCS) accreditation which was set up to help the construction industry to improve quality and reduce accidents.

A spokesman for BW related:

"As the third largest custodian of historic structures in the UK, BW's 200 year old network cares for over 2,500 listed buildings and structures and 40 scheduled ancient monuments, together representing one of the UK's best collections of industrial heritage including locks, warehouses, bridges and aqueducts. The cultural and economic importance of Britain's canals and rivers is increasingly being rediscovered, with the many millions of people who visit their local waterway exploring the heritage on their doorstep."