Craftmanship Training and Education

Education

Education Schaesberg Castle strives to link the education and training programs of primary and secondary schools with the project and programs offered by Schaesberg Castle.

As in previous years The Schaesberg Castle Estate Foundation will offer internship places for pupils and students of lower and higher vocational education (VMBO, MBO and HBO) to fulfil their practical location component. We also occasionally collaborate with universities, for example in archaeological research. The Schaesberg Castle Estate Foundation (SCEF) also continues to look for collaboration within the business community. We do this through both bilateral contacts and platforms such as the ROP (The Association for Restoration and Training Projects). In this way knowledge and experience are brought together through 17th century building techniques and people will be able to  learn about the history of the castle and its surroundings. Also within different areas of the project such as hospitality, marketing and communication it is possible to place interns with different levels of experience.

An important part of the rebuilding plan is the creation of training places and also the long term development of a knowledge centre for rebuilding and restoring. For apprentice programs in the building sector the Schaesberg Castle project can offer apprentice placements for many years to come. Students will be taught and guided by professionals who are working on the Schaesberg Castle project.

Crafts

An important aspect of the project is the development of appreciation for crafts. There currently is a big shortage of people with trade skills and this will only continue to increase further. By demonstrating how stone is carved, how metal is worked and how wood can be crafted and even how a meal from the middle ages was prepared visitors can experience the past and the joy these crafts bring; all the more because such craftsmanship is clearly visible in the building of the Castle. Our ambition to promote traditional crafts can be seen in the collaborative projects that we support with educational institutions.

Monuments are part of our cultural heritage, and should be honoured, and restored and listed where necessary. That is why we need specialised craftsmanship. The continued survival of the monuments and their rich cultural legacy rests on the shoulders of enthusiastic and well trained restorers, such as carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, stoneworkers, painters, blacksmiths, and roofers. Schaesberg Castle is in essence a building project where these techniques and skills can be learned and made relevant once again.

The SBB, an organisation bringing together the business and education sectors, recognises Schaesberg Castle as an employer providing high-quality training employer. The skills that people learn whilst working here are in high demand in the construction market. We will mainly use traditional materials and techniques during visiting hours and for educational purposes, with modern ones being employed only where necessary. Given the length of the project, we will be able to offer many hundreds of internships.