Crafting the Future: The Role of the Heritage Skills Academy in Classic Car Restoration
3 min reading time
The Heritage Skills Academy plays a crucial role in preserving the art of classic car restoration while shaping the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women. Through its specialized apprenticeship programs, the academy offers an immersive learning experience that blends traditional skills with modern techniques, ensuring that heritage vehicles are restored to their former glory. Apprentices gain hands-on experience at some of the UK's most prestigious restoration workshops, learning from industry experts and contributing to the restoration of automotive icons.
Katie Harris: A Testimonial of Craftsmanship and Passion
Katie Harris, a coachbuilding apprentice at Bentley Mulliner, exemplifies the success of the Heritage Skills Academy’s approach. Katie is part of the team working on the continuation series of the iconic Bentley Speed 6, the car that won Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. “It’s an incredible honour to work on these historic race cars,” she shares, reflecting on the significance of her apprenticeship.
In her first year, Katie has already gained a diverse set of skills, from woodworking and trim work to sheet metal work, and even contributing to the build team for the Speed 6. "Studying at the Heritage Skills Academy at Brooklands has been integral to my learning, and the skills I’ve acquired, such as panel beating, English wheeling, and welding, have been invaluable at work," Katie explains.
What makes Katie’s experience even more unique is that she’s a stockcar driver. She applies many of the techniques she’s learning in her apprenticeship when preparing her own race car. “The chance to learn these lost skills is something my generation rarely has the opportunity to experience,” she adds, emphasizing the rare and invaluable nature of the apprenticeship.
Skills Tested and Honed: The Key to Success
At the Heritage Skills Academy, apprentices are constantly tested on their technical abilities, creativity, and attention to detail. The classic car restoration industry requires workers who are meticulous, innovative, and highly skilled in traditional methods that are fast becoming rare in modern workshops. The academy provides apprentices with an environment where these skills can be tested, developed, and refined.
Through challenges like TIG and gas welding, advanced metal fabrication techniques, and creating bespoke parts for vehicles, apprentices learn to tackle complex problems and develop a sense of craftsmanship that’s rooted in tradition. By working closely with mentors at their partner workshops, students receive invaluable insight and guidance that helps shape their future careers.
Looking to the Future
The Heritage Skills Academy is dedicated to preserving the skills and traditions that make classic car restoration so special. By offering apprenticeships the combined skills of both practical experience and technical education, the academy ensures that the next generation of craftsmen and women are ready to meet the growing demand for skilled workers in the automotive restoration sector.
Katie’s story, along with many others, is a testament to the academy’s success. We are proud to support the Heritage Skills Academy and its mission to shape the future of automotive restoration, preserving the artistry of classic cars while creating new opportunities for the next generation of skilled craftsmen and women.
