In 1968, the Whitehill Report on Professional and Public Education for Historic Preservation raised concerns about a dearth of tradespeople qualified in historic preservation work. More than a half century later, Nicholas Redding may have a solution, thanks to his Campaign for Historic Trades.
In November, the Maryland Department of Labor approved a first-of-kind group apprenticeship program in historic trades for state registration. The program, sponsored by the campaign, sets standards that include on-the-job learning, related instruction and core competencies. Redding, who is president and CEO of Preservation Maryland, launched the campaign in 2019 to address an issue that has chronically threatened historic preservation efforts.