canal college ‘canal heritage projects facilitating learning’ Karen Moore, Scottish Waterways Trust November 2012

What is canal college? ‘canal heritage projects facilitating learning’  An innovative and inspirational programme of learning, skills development and employability training  Based on Scotland’s lowland canals in Edinburgh and Falkirk  Designed for young people not in employment, education or training  Focussed on heritage learning skills  Built on the success of Green Action

Some facts & figures ElementOutputsTOTALS TimespanMay 2013 – April Years Number of locationsEdinburgh & Falkirk 2 locations Number of Programmes Six in each area 12 programmes Duration of each programme Fourteen weeks x 2 days per week 336 days Participants per programme 12 participants 144 participants Volunteers per programme 2 minimum 24 volunteers Awards available per participant 1 completion certificate, 3 awards (John Muir, Saltire and Youth Achievement) & possible SVQs Up to 576 awards

Partnerships & Funding PROJECT PARTNERS  Scottish Waterways Trust working in partnership with Scottish Canals PROJECT BUDGET  £430,000 FUNDING PARTNERS  Heritage Lottery Fund  The European Union Interreg IVB North West Europe  Scottish Natural Heritage

Canal college – Benefits to Scottish Canals  This is Scottish Canals opportunity to ensure a trained supply pipeline for its workforce and the workforce of its suppliers  This initiative allows Scottish Canals to respond in an exciting and positive way to the government directive that Heritage Organisations need to do more in the fight to reduce youth unemployment  The project has a high chance of being financially sustainable – employability partners see the value in it which is why they want to partner with us  Scottish canals and its supply chain must do their bit in terms of raising awareness of canal college and recruiting Canal College graduates

MORE BENEFITS TO SCOTTISH CANALS…  Development of a larger framework for learning and career development within Scottish Canals  Engagement with the employability sector  Enhanced awareness of the canal infrastructure and its heritage significance  Young people actively engaged in the canal environment  Canal ambassadors for the future  Legacy of volunteer mentors  Physical legacy from project outputs  PR potential  … canal college : Benefits for Scottish Canals

BENEFITS FOR THE SCOTTISH CANALS STAFF SUPPORTING CANAL COLLEGE  Opportunity to mentor and support participants  New access to personal training and development (eg. volunteer facilitation, presentation skills)  Potential recognition in performance reviews and/or a bonus incentive  Access to up-skilling by being part of the learning experience (eg drystane walling)  Involvement in the two signature projects  … canal college : Benefits for Scottish Canals

canal college Programmes The Modules:  Induction & How Canals Work  Built Heritage  Natural Heritage  Cultural Heritage  Signature Projects  The Historic Flight of Locks, Falkirk  Calders Canal Gateway, Edinburgh  Celebrating Canal College Participants

‘How Canals Work’ Module The Module:  Engineering – gravity and contour canals; how canals came into being; managing heritage infrastructure  Operations – canal staff duties, how locks work, how water is managed  The Falkirk Wheel – why its there and how it works The Benefit:  Better appreciation of the heritage significance of the canals  An insight into jobs on the canals

Built Heritage Modules The Module:  Culvert & bankside walling surveys  Stonework demo and taster sessions  Culvert management  Bankside structures The Benefit:  At least 12 culvert mouths cleared and restored  12 canalside structures restored  Minimum of 24 accurate survey records added to the Scottish Canals data base

Natural Heritage Modules The Module: Protected & invasive species surveys Habitat enhancements Plant identification Wildflower meadow creation Top 10 wildlife and plants to spot The Benefit:  6 protected species surveyed  12 invasive species surveys done  72 bat boxes installed  2 wildflower meadows created  2 ‘Top 10’ guides created

Cultural Heritage Modules The Module:  Cultural Heritage investigation & research  Living Memory Oral History interviews  Archiving & Cataloguing The Benefit:  2 heritage boxes produced for educational purposes  12 new heritage trails created  12 oral history records compiled  Library archiving and cataloguing

Signature Project Falkirk The Module:  Review of historic records/archive  Vegetation clearance, shallow excavation, site records, condition survey, stonework repairs, soiling and seeding The Benefit:  Shallow excavation of top 3 historic locks  Heritage trail from Falkirk Wheel  Interpretation & final exhibition

Signature Project Calders The Module:  Landscape skills in sett laying, stone wall restoration, gate construction, heritage seating installation, native hedge planting, native woodland and tree planting, soiling and seeding, interpretation and information signage The Benefit:  Formation of a formal gateway linking Calders to the Union Canal

canal college – commitment from Scottish Canals Our Ask  Support canal college for four days every three months in total which equates to 32 days over the two year period  Linton’s time –as per Green Action  Occasional input from Management Team  Joint applicant to HLF which ties SC in to a maintenance agreement for the canal college projects for 10 years  SNH have requested a cash contribution from SC and this has also been raised by HLF???  Ring-fence some seasonal vacancies and guarantee interviews for participants  Promote canal college within the SC supply chain

The Future

Permanent Employment Seasonal Employment Internships Apprenticeships Intermediate – Tourism (TFW) Intermediate – Canal Skills Beginner – canal college Entry Level – Green Action Pathway to Skills & Employability