Windows Workforce Pilot Training Program
Did you know that the city of Rochester and surrounding region have one of the largest and most intact collections of historic housing stock in the nation?
In order to properly repair and maintain historic homes and buildings in a cost-efficient, high quality, and historically sensitive manner, it is important to work with contractors and craftspeople who are experienced in the preservation trades. Historic materials and features such as plaster, porches, windows, and general carpentry work require unique and specialized skills that most contractors do not possess.
While there are veteran practitioners of the traditional trades in our region, many of them are approaching retirement. Without a new generation of craftspeople to take over, we are approaching a crisis level of diminishing resources and knowledge to care for our historic resources. Rehabilitation of historic buildings has increased exponentially during the past several decades, providing employment opportunities for craftspeople who are trained in these specific skills.
Are you interested in learning a traditional trade?
The Landmark Society has developed a Windows Workforce Pilot Training Program to focus on wood window repair, as this is the area for which we see the most immediate demand. The program will take place in the Fall of 2024 and will be taught by experienced window restoration tradespeople.
We’re looking for 10-12 craftspeople between the ages of 18-35 from the Finger Lakes/Genesee Valley region to receive hands-on training in the repair of historic wood windows. The curriculum will include EPA lead paint safety training and information on historic preservation in our region. Training sessions will take place on Thursdays and Fridays for about 8 weeks this fall. Participants who attend these sessions will be compensated $20/hour.
This program will be taught by Steve Jordan, who has been in the old-house repair and restoration business for forty years. He has exclusively repaired and restored thousands of windows over the past twenty years. He is a graduate of Cornell University’s Historic Preservation Program and was a contributing editor for Old-House Journal for 17 years. For more information about Steve, visit www.painintheglass.us.
Schedule:
June 30: Applications due at 5 pm
July 19: Successful applicants notified
September to November (dates TBD): Training sessions held on Thursdays and Fridays for about 8 weeks
How to apply and learn more:
Online applications are available! Contact Hannah Davis at hello@flowercityfolk.org for more information.
This project is being made possible by a Historic Preservation Education Foundation grant, a National Trust for Historic Preservation – Preservation Funds grant, and a Rochester Area Community Foundation grant. Additional support is provided by Flower City Folk and made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
