The Covington Academy of Heritage Trades will host an information session on Thursday, December 21, 2023 from 5–6 p.m.
The event will be hosted at the home base of the Academy at the Covington Location of the Enzweiler Building Institute, located at 3923 Winston Avenue in Covington. The session is designed to introduce the Academy to interested prospective trade professionals and homeowners alike.
At the session, attendees can:
• Hear details about broader classes forming for the Covington Academy of Heritage Trades.
• Learn about introductory weekends.
• Explore the Academy’s facilities.
• Learn more about hands-on field work in the program.
• Find out about scholarships and opportunities to meet employers.
The Covington Academy of Heritage Trades is in the process of restoring the former Colonial Inn located at 1515 Madison Avenue in Covington as part of the enrollees learning process. (Photo from BIA)
The Academy is now accepting applications for 2024. Classes start on January 8. For more information, schedule an appointment with Diane McConnell by phone at 859-640-4294 or via email at Diane@BuildersNKY.com. Those interested can also learn more at www.heritagetradesacademy.com and signup for classes online.
The Academy teaches the skills and knowledge needed to restore older homes and buildings to their former glory. Students learn to preserve the original features and historic significance while simultaneously modernizing and updating the functionality of the properties.
Students work side-by-side with skilled craftspeople who have dedicated their careers to mastering their trade. Through hands-on application in real properties, students gain practical experience that can translate into meaningful careers in the field of historic restoration.
For those interested in a career in restoration trades the City of Covington commissioned a study entitled “Historic Trades Labor Analysis: Baseline Data for Covington, Kentucky”. In that report it’s author PlaceEconomics found that not nearly enough trades people are engaged in historic renovation but currently between 2013 and 2021:
• $203 million in total investment in Covington – The amount of money spent in the City of Covington in the restoration of historic structures.
• 94 – The number of jobs each year already supported by permit activity in Covington’s local and National Register historic districts alone since 2013.
• 9% — How much more a trades worker with training, experience, or expertise in historic preservation reported being paid, compared to those in non-historic construction trades.
• $8.5MM – Collective wages paid to workers on projects in Covington’s local and National Register historic districts per year between 2013 and 2021.
Also cited in the study are areas of great need for both the City’s Historic Preservation Overlay Zones and the National Register of Historic Districts showing the amount of demand for historic renovation professionals in Covington alone:
• Over 3,000 window repair cases are needed.
• Over 4,000 structures are in need of exterior repair of woodwork and carpentry.
• Over 1,000 structures are in need of exterior masonry repair.
• Over 1,000 structures are in need of roof and box gutter repair.
The Academy uses a historic building on Madison Avenue in Covington as its “living lab”, a primary site for hands-on learning activities. The building, formerly known as the Colonial Inn, features a veranda-roofed porch, gabled dormers, and exquisite woodwork. It was built in the 1860s as a glorious single-family home but has suffered from neglect over the past decades. The Academy’s goal is to restore the home in the coming years.
Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky
