WCAPT SYMPOSIUM 2027 RFA/P

“BRIDGING THE GAP:  Preservation Crafts, Trades, and Community”

Description

Across the country, historic preservation faces a critical shortage of skilled tradespeople trained to work with traditional materials, methods, and buildings.  This Symposium intends to bring together practitioners, educators, policymakers, and community leaders to explore practical solutions for building sustainable pathways into preservation crafts, strengthening trades knowledge transfer, and connecting workforce development to community needs through demonstrations, conversations, apprenticeship models, training programs, partnerships, and inclusive strategies that prepare the next generation to steward our shared built heritage.

Request for Abstracts/Proposals

We invite session proposals that address the urgent need to expand, train, and sustain the preservation workforce. This Symposium seeks to highlight practical, scalable, and community-centered solutions that connect people to careers in preservation trades and strengthen the systems that support them.

Priority Topics

Craft Knowledge & Skills Transfer

• Teaching traditional building techniques
• Master–apprentice models and mentorship
• Documentation and preservation of craft knowledge
• Integrating traditional methods with modern practice

Workforce Development & Career Pathways

• Apprenticeship programs, internships, and hands-on training models
• Recruitment and retention strategies
• Career ladders and credentialing in the preservation trades
• Transition points from training to employment

Partnerships & Systems Building

• Collaboration between nonprofits, contractors, schools, and agencies
• Workforce intermediaries and cross-sector partnerships
• Aligning preservation needs with construction and labor markets
• Coordination between preservation and workforce development systems

Equity, Access, and Inclusion

• Expanding access to trades careers for underrepresented groups
• Reducing barriers to entry (cost, training, awareness)
• Community-based and place-based training initiatives

Policy, Funding, and Advocacy

• Public policy supporting historic trades training
• Funding models and grants for workforce programs
• Integrating preservation trades into larger workforce strategies

  

Community Impact & Public Engagement

• Connecting workforce development to community preservation needs
• Training programs tied to real projects (cemeteries, housing, main streets)
• Communicating the value of preservation trades to the public 

Potential Submitters

• Craft Practitioners and Tradespeople
• Educators and training program leaders
• Preservation professionals and planners
• Preservation contractors and business owners
• Nonprofit and community organizations
• Public agencies and policymakers

Single Track Symposium to include:

Crafts (Skills & Knowledge Transfer)

• Teaching traditional materials and methods
• Skill standards and certification
• Craft documentation and digital tools
• Demonstrations of specialized techniques

  

Trades (Workforce & Careers)

• Apprenticeships and workforce pipelines
• Employer needs and workforce gaps
• Business sustainability for trades firms
• Recruiting the next generation

  

Community (Connection & Impact)

• Linking workforce training to real community needs
• Community-based preservation projects
• Public engagement and storytelling
• Equity and access in trades careers

Session Types:

Workforce Labs (interactive/problem-solving)

• Small-group sessions tackling specific challenges
• Example: “Designing a Local Apprenticeship Program”

  

Demonstration Sessions

• Live craft demonstrations (masonry, plaster, window repair)
• Emphasize hands-on learning and knowledge transfer

  

Partnership Showcases

• Case studies of successful collaborations
• Workforce training tied to real projects

  

Policy Roundtables

• Discussions with policymakers, funders, and advocates
• Focus on scaling workforce solutions

Preferred Session Formats

• Hands-on demonstrations (craft techniques, tools, materials)
• Workshops (skills training, program design, curriculum development)
• Interactive sessions (problem-solving, peer exchange)
• Panels and roundtables (multi-perspective discussion)
• Traditional presentations (case studies, research, program models)

Selection Criteria

• Focus on real-world applications and lessons learned
• Address workforce challenges and solutions directly
• Include transferable strategies that others can adopt
• Reflect the perspectives of diverse practitioners and communities

Submission Guidelines

1. Proposal Format: Please submit a 300–500 word abstract outlining your proposed workshop, demonstration, presentation, or panel discussion. Include the topic, relevance to the symposium theme, and key points to be addressed.
2. Presenter Information: Provide the names, affiliations, and brief biographies of all presenters.
3. Presentation Information: Provide presentation time length estimate.
4. Submission Deadline: All proposals must be submitted by 9/16/2026 (5:00 PM PT).
5. Notification: Accepted proposals will be notified by email by 10/14/2026.
6. Submission Method: Email your proposal as a PDF or Word document to wcaptboard@gmail.com

Location and Date

The symposium is scheduled for April 2 & 3, 2027 and will be held in Tempe, Arizona.  The symposium presenters are not limited to WCAPT members nor those from the Western Chapter locale. 

Contact Information

For questions or further information, please contact the organizing committee at wcaptboard@gmail.com.  We look forward to your submissions and to an engaging symposium that advances the resilience and recovery of our shared historic heritage.