Recclesia In-House Skills & Training

The company is well known for its team of highly skilled craftsmen and women. We believe in keeping traditional skills in-house and ensuring that we train continually, employ apprentices and continually develop our conservation philosophy. Our in-house skillset currently includes:

Sub-Contracting
Where contracts demand further specialist skills, Recclesia maintains a list of vetted sub-contractors, all of whom have passed a stringent prequalification process. Most of our sub-contractors have been tried and tested time and again on our contracts and have a thorough appreciation of the very high standards expected of them. If you are interested in applying to become one of our vetted sub-contractors, please contact us.

Training & Promotion of Skills
Recclesia is dedicated to the development and promotion of traditional skills in the UK, whether these be traditional building skills or craft-based skills. The company has been involved with the development of Specialist Training Plans with Constructionskills and was one of the first companies in the country to put an STP in place in 2011.

Recclesia is part of the Welsh Assembly Government's Workforce Development Programme which helps put together and fund specialist vocational training for staff at companies based in Wales. Recently, this programme has funded places on courses at York University on Masonry Conservation and Painting of Stained Glass, and technical courses at Bangor University and Deeside College, all attended by various members of the Recclesia Team. The team is given continual ongoing training in skill based and safety based subjects. All carry Heritage Sector CSCS cards relevant to their trade or discipline.

Recclesia is also working with the National Apprenticeship Service in order to ensure that skills are passed on in the workplace to young people looking for a career in our specialist areas. We currently support two apprentices.

Recclesia promotes traditional skills by holding and sponsoring events. Every year we hold a traditional skills demonstration in Ruthin, North Wales, and hold an open studio event every September at the Stained Glass Studio in Chester. In 2011 the company sponsored the Stone Federation's UK Masonry Skills Challenge which sought to identify and reward young people who have developed outstanding skills in masonry banker work. We also regularly give talks to schools about traditional skills and the work that we do on historic buildings, and run regular courses in association with Pearson's Glass of Liverpool for members of the public.

"At 18, I had a choice of either going to university or taking a different direction and seeking training in the workplace. When I saw the position for an apprentice advertised, I jumped at the chance to train with a well known company which was working on fascinating projects. I couldn't quite believe my luck when I was chosen for the position.

My experience as an apprentice has been as varied as it has been exciting. I had no previous experience with glass, but did do art at school and enjoyed it. The majority of my training has been provided by shadowing and assisting the craftsmen and women in the studio as well as doing some on-site work removing and reinstating stained glass.

This year, I will be given my own projects to do in the studio and will start to train with the studio glass artist Kat Walton, who is extremely talented and very good at teaching."