There is a shortage of practitioners skilled in the traditional crafts necessary to conserve and restore our historic buildings. These include bricklayers, carpenters, flint workers, lime-plasterers (including pargetters), stone-masons and thatchers. English Heritage has joined forces with CITB-Construction Skills (Sector Skills Council for Construction) to form the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG). The NHTG is responsible for implementing a coherent strategy for training and skills provision in the traditional building crafts sector.