The Heritage Skills Academy has opened its doors to its new centre with a focus on teaching traditional coachmaking skills.
Heritage Skills Academy and Brooklands Museum have formed a new educational partnership to promote, expand and deliver apprenticeships in heritage engineering.
The launch was attended by over 100 guests who enjoyed demonstrations by the apprentices, both on track and in the 7,000 square feet workshops. Speakers included a keynote from Marc Allum of Antiques Roadshow fame; Tamalie Newbury, CEO of Brooklands Museum; Francis Galashan, Chair of the Federation Skills Trust and John Pitchforth, Founder & Managing Director of the Heritage Skills Academy.
The Heritage Skills Academy has expanded from its current headquarters at Bicester Heritage to open a second teaching site at Brooklands Museum. The Museum’s purpose-built workshop facilities have become the Heritage Skills Academy’s southern site from April, where they are now training apprentices on their world class Heritage Engineering technician qualification. Training will continue at HSA’s original base at Bicester.
Brooklands Museum is on the site of the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit and was the location of the most prolific aircraft factories in Europe to this day. The history of the place and Museum’s collection embodies the ingenuity and excellence of British engineering in the twentieth century. The Museum has a working collection and a wealth of heritage engineering expertise amongst its staff and volunteers.
HSA’s existing apprentice programme, which originated at Bicester Heritage in 2016, will be complemented by the rich heritage and history of Brooklands. Apprentices will be able to work with the Brooklands team of volunteers and gain insight from Brooklands Museum’s comprehensive historic fleet. Apprentices will work close to the Museum’s award winning ‘Aircraft Factory’ and ‘Flight Shed’ exhibitions where purpose-built workshops will be used to deliver the skills and knowledge which apprentices require to successfully graduate upon completion of their course.
Tamalie Newbery (Director & CEO Brooklands Museum) said
This partnership with Heritage Skills Academy is of great significance for Brooklands Museum and we are delighted to be working with their team. Brooklands Museum has an educational mission and bringing this nationally renowned apprenticeship programme to Brooklands is an important step in our support of careers in STEM subjects. Keeping our historic collection in good, working condition whenever possible, enables visitors to better understand and be inspired by all that people at Brooklands accomplished in the past and the apprenticeships ensure the skills needed to look after historic vehicles are passed on to new generations.
