Ancient Connections: Work Experience Programme

Ancient Connections: Traditional Skills Renaissance- Work Experience Programme

The Tywi Centre is set to deliver an exciting programme of traditional skills training and education as part of Ancient Connections – a cross-border arts and heritage project linking Wexford and Pembrokeshire. We are currently seeking partners in Ireland to manage our work experience scheme in Wexford as part of this project.

If your organisation would be interested in providing a quotation please contact canolfantywicentre@carmarthenshire.gov.uk by July 8^th 2022. We will then send you a formal request for a quotation which will include details of our assessment criteria. 

The Tywi Centre have been delivering traditional building skills training in Wales since 2009 and this is an exciting opportunity to bring that experience to work with experts and communities over in Ireland. 

The focus of the Ancient Connections work experience scheme is to create employment opportunities within the heritage construction sector in Wexford and North Pembrokeshire. This contract will ensure that three people will be recruited from the Wexford region and will follow a four-week training course, based in North Pembrokeshire. This course will focus on the use of lime in construction but may also cover other aspects including carpentry and roofing.

Following the training, the learner will be placed with at least 1 heritage contractor for a period of 4-weeks of work experience. The aim is that the employer will offer the learner more permanent employment following the end of the project.

The role of the partner organisation will be to:

• Identify and recruit suitable built heritage contractors to support the programme.
  • Consult Built Heritage Contractor Companies within the local area.
  • Developing a network of heritage companies that can support each other and new entrants into the industry.
  • Arrange relevant heritage skills training required by employer
• Screen potential placement providers
  • health, safety and wellbeing standards
  • insurances, policies and training
  • availability of a mentor
  • programme of work to demonstrate that relevant learning experiences will be available.
• Marketing and recruitment for the programme
  • Develop a marketing campaign to attract applicants for the scheme including open information events
  • Work with local colleges, job centres, community groups to identify potential applicants
  • Follow the application process (application pack and scheme guidance will be provided
  • Interview and select appropriate candidates
  • Successful candidates would ideally be from or live within the project area.
• Management of the training
  • Successful candidates from Wexford will need to attend the training in North Pembrokeshire alongside their Welsh counterparts (training to be organised and managed by Tywi Centre)
  • Support in organising travel and accommodation will be required
  • Tutors on this course will mainly be from Wales but the potential for working with guest lecturers from Wexford will be investigated.
• Management of work experience
  • Ensure that each candidate has a 4-week ( 20 work days) work experience placement available on completion of the training
  • Provide regular monitoring during placement
  • Identify any support required by the trainee and the placement provider to secure future employment
• Payments of the Bursary and expenses will be managed by the Tywi Centre

Time scales

The successful contractor will be responsible for managing the following budget

Budget Details

The Tywi Centre will manage the budget for the following:

• 4- weeks (20 days) of specialist training in North Pembrokeshire for the 6 learners (3 from Ireland and 3 from Wales)
• Course materials
• Additional training to include health and safety courses
• Equipment- PPE and tools
• Bursary payment of 66 Euros/ day/ trainee/ for 40 days
• Travel costs
• Accommodation for 20 days of training for the learners