Facilities Workforce Career Academy

In the Learning Services branch of HPTC, we teach hands-on craft in tandem with preservation principles to ensure that our learners have the skills, knowledge, and connection needed to properly care for NPS heritage resources.

We run a training and education program that: 
  • captivates aspiring preservationists and cultivates the NPS workforce, 
  • instills a preservation ethic in the service, 
  • revives the art and status of craft skills, and 
  • grows diversity and supports inclusion within the historic preservation field.
Through our Aspiring Preservationist Programs, Continuing Education Opportunities, and Task Support Tools, we meet learners where, how, and when they need us.

Aspiring Preservationist Programs

These programs are geared toward youth, people serving in the military, and military veterans interested in getting involved with historic preservation. Check out the individual programs below for more information.
  • Two interns wearing NPS tshirts and hard hats look up while holding a clipboard and camera.

    Build Up Technical Internship

    Internships for students and recent graduates in technical fields.

  • A worker under a sun shade works on a brick fireplace.

    Historic Stewards Program

    This program targets students currently enrolled in trades, construction or other hand-on, preservation-related fields of study.

  • Two workers in hard hats and tool belts replace mortar between large stones in a prehistoric wall.

    Indian Youth Service Corps

    The Indian Youth Service Corps provides opportunities for Indigenous youth to engage in public service.

  • Four people at an outdoor workbench. One person wears an NPS uniform.

    Preservation in Practice

    Preservation in Practice is a four-week, paid, summer field school aimed at undergraduate architecture students attending HBCUs.

  • Four people at a workbench. One is using a saw while two hold down a board.

    Traditional Trades Advancement Program

    TTAP provides hands-on, historic preservation trade skills training during an intensive five-month learning-while-working experience.

  • Two workers carry a large door. One worker has an NPS uniform on.

    SkillBridge

    SkillBridge is an opportunity for military service members to gain skills through industry training in their last 180 days of service.

Continuing Education Opportunities

These opportunities are aimed at NPS employees and industry professionals looking to develop their skills and gain mastery in historic preservation and traditional trades skills. Opportunities vary in length from a couple of days to multi-year programs. Select a program below to learn more.

Task Support Tools

These learning aids are meant to provide on-the-job support at the precise moment of need. They range from online how-to videos to checklists for preservation best practices. Select an example below to learn more.

Last updated: March 21, 2023

Tools