St Paul’s Cathedral establishes Wren Centre of Excellence offering carpentry and stonemasonry apprenticeships to preserve endangered heritage skills.
St Paul’s Cathedral has announced the launch of a new apprenticeship programme and training centre, focused on heritage and endangered craft skills.
The launch, coinciding with the Cathedral’s 350th anniversary, will reveal the programme for apprenticeships in carpentry and stonemasonry at the newly established Wren Centre of Excellence.
The centre is designed to serve as a hub for heritage craft training and innovation, named in honour of the Cathedral’s architect Sir Christopher Wren.
“Craft skills have always been at the heart of St Paul’s,” said the cathedral’s director of property, Rebecca Thompson.
“But these historic skills are at risk, with fewer professionals gaining the expertise needed to maintain them. That’s why we’re launching our new Wren Centre of Excellence, so that we can pass the torch to a new generation of skilled craftspeople.
“Our new Carpentry and Stonemasonry apprenticeships are just the first in a series of apprenticeships we plan to offer from the Wren Centre of Excellence. And this new hub is a tribute to our past but a promise to the future of London’s historic Cathedral.”
The apprenticeships will provide training from St Paul’s Cathedral’s master craftspeople within the historic building.
The launch addresses concerns about the declining number of professionals with expertise in maintaining historic craft skills. The programme aims to nurture the next generation of skilled craftspeople through hands-on training in one of the nation’s most significant heritage buildings.
St Paul’s Cathedral, designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late 17th century, welcomes over one million visitors annually. The building has housed a cathedral for London for over 1400 years and serves as both a working church and national heritage site.
The programme forms part of St Paul’s broader educational and community outreach activities.
