no wrong path to success

The Hatrack on Glasgow’s St Vincent Street.

For the next in our series of guest blogs, Dorothy Hoskins, Technical Outreach and Education Manager at Historic Environment Scotland’s  Engine Shed, reflects on how there is #NoWrongPath into the heritage sector.

Times have been difficult for many people throughout Covid-19, however it is our young people who will feel the long-term effects more than most. This week lots of school pupils will be opening exam results with estimated grades which will doubtless be met with relief or disappointment, and questions about the future.

The #NoWrongPath initiative from Skills Development Scotland aims to dispel the myth that one piece of paper will define your future. It asks people to share their experiences of career development, illustrating that often people do not end up in their jobs by following a straightforward, traditional path.

I’ve worked in the heritage sector for over fifteen years and am continually struck by the diversity of backgrounds and experience of the people I meet, however the one thing they all have in common is a passion for our built environment and how it is cared for.

From guiding at historic sites across the country to undertaking scientific research to enhance our understanding of building materials, the wealth of jobs within the heritage sector is vast. At the Engine Shed in Stirling we promote traditional building materials and skills, with a particular focus on traditional craft skills such as stonemasonry and joinery, presenting these as positive career destinations for young people.

We build skills in areas as diverse as digital technology and earth building engaging people of all backgrounds and ages with traditional buildings, and use innovative digital techniques to take people to sites across the country and across the world, exploring places many of us will never visit in person.

Dorothy Hoskins

Personally, having gained a degree in Psychology after school I pursued a career in marketing which I left in my late twenties to follow my dream and gain a qualification in Architectural Conservation.

I had been obsessed with buildings from a young age, with landmarks such as Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson’s Caledonia Road church in the Gorbals and the then derelict modern movement Luma Lightbulb Factory peppering my childhood route into Glasgow.

Then later boring friends by continually pointing out interesting buildings on nights out, the Hatrack on St Vincent Street was a particular favourite!

When I embarked on my conservation course, I had no idea what I would end up doing. I didn’t really mind, as long as I was working with built heritage.

What I found was a vibrant sector filled with passionate community groups battling to save places important to them, people with encyclopaedic knowledge about Scotland’s buildings and the stories they tell, and those with creative talent which never fails to amaze me.

The Luma Lightbulb Factory in Glasgow.

Our traditional built environment surrounds us all, it connects people and places and is a bridge between our past and our future. We need to both stir up and capture the passion and enthusiasm of our young people to ensure these buildings survive and thrive in the future.

At Historic Environment Scotland we will continue to work with others to engage the next generation of architects, tour guides, planners, stonemasons, conservators and countless others to provide career opportunities, apprenticeships and pathways for young people. I love working in the heritage sector and although I took a strange route to get where I am now, I firmly believe that by following your passion there really is #NoWrongPath

For more information about apprenticeships or careers within the heritage sector contact tehcnicaleducation@hes.scot

Find out more about the Skills Development Scotland #NoWrongPath initiative here.