Traditional Trades Advancement Program

Written By Dena Koehn

Are you interested in exploring a career where you can work with your hands? Or dream about a worksite with a jaw-dropping view and fascinating history?

If so, the Traditional Trades Advancement Program may be right for you!

Every year, the Traditional Trades Advancement Program (TTAP) places aspiring preservationists at national parks across the country to preserve cultural resources and crucial infrastructure. TTAP participants have:

  • repaired historic window sashes,

  • replaced perimeter capstones on a revolutionary era fort,

  • removed old mortar and pointed walls,

  • stabilized historic barn foundations,

  • waxed and treated bronze monuments,

  • restored historic viewsheds, and more!

The program is committed to providing all aspiring preservationists—especially those interested in the traditional trades—with an unique opportunity to work on important real-world projects while building professional experience and a life-long connection to America’s national parks. This also allows experienced NPS preservation professionals the opportunity to pass on the craft skills, ensuring national park histories continue to inspire and educate the next generation.

Program Overview

Over the course of a 26-week immersive experience, TTAP participants train and work alongside experienced NPS employees to preserve cultural resources and crucial infrastructure. Participants learn the fundamentals of historic preservation and receive on-the-job training in a traditional trade, such as masonry, carpentry, monuments, and woodcrafting. You'll gain practical, hands-on experience and the foundation for a career in historic preservation.

Youth and military veterans are invited to join the Traditional Trades Advancement Program of the National Park Service. Learn skills, work in amazing places, and preserve the history that defines us all. Video: NPS / Kristi Rugg

Who Can Apply

  • Youth must be between 18 and 30 years of age.

  • Veterans must be between 18 and 35 years of age and possess a DD214 with a discharge status of Honorable or General under Honorable Conditions.

  • Participants must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent legal resident.

  • No prior experience is required to be eligible to participate in the TTAP Program.

How to Apply

TTAP positions have rolling start dates but typically begin between March and June, with a few positions starting in the later summer or fall.

TTAP positions currently accepting applications will be posted on our partner’s webpage, The Campaign for Historic Trades – Opportunities.

Contact

Questions? Contact our team at hptc_learning@nps.gov

Learn more: https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1098/traditional-trades-apprenticeship-program.htm

Dena Koehn

Dena Koehn grew up in Rose City, a rural town in mid-Michigan, and moved to southern Michigan to attend Adrian College. She graduated in 2005 with a BFA in Studio Art and a BA in English. After school, she worked in marketing and sales. In 2016 Dena started teaching woodworking classes with Luke in a garage, which eventually became the Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute. She has served many roles at the SBWI, including Outreach Coordinator, Shaker Box Instructor, Secretary, Treasurer, Board Member, Bookkeeper, and now Director of Operations. She is also the Event Coordinator and Social Media Director of the Great Lakes Woodworking Festival, an annual event which brings together the best woodworkers from the Great Lakes region.

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