Stonemasonry students at the City of Bath College are on a path to success with hands-on vocational training to kick start their careers.
This was the message from guest speakers at the local presentation of the National Association of Colleges (AoC) Beacon Award for Practical Teaching and Learning in Stonemasonry.
The College won the coveted ‘Further Education Oscar’ for its Living Classroom philosophy where students undertake skilled stonemasonry work under real conditions of heritage restoration work.
Guests were invited to the Building of Bath Collection on March 31st to hear about the excellent work of stonemasonry students at the Tyntesfield Estate in North Somerset and Woodchester Mansion in the Cotswolds.
The cash prize of £5,000 was also handed to the College by the award sponsors, independent education charity The Edge Foundation.
College staff were awarded the Beacon Award by Lord Willis, President of the AoC Charitable Trust, and congratulated by Matthew Hancock, Minister for Skills and Enterprise, at the London presentation in February.
Jane Samuels, Project and Operations Manager at The Edge Foundation, said City of Bath College was a “very well-deserving winner” as staff had “not only met the Beacon Award criteria, but exceeded most of it.”
She said: “The purpose of this award is to recognise the excellence of the College in allowing students to tackle real life work using the tools of the trade.
“The College gives students unparalleled access to work with experts so they leave with the knowledge, vocational experience and a whole set of priceless employability skills.
“This sets students up for the best possible future as they are on a path to success.
“It’s very welcoming to see such close working relationships between the College and the community, particularly in the heritage sector.”
Councillor Neil Butters, Chairman of Bath and North East Somerset Council, said he was in awe of the amazing work of stonemasonry students.
He said: “The Beacon Award is an outstanding achievement; the staff do an absolutely fantastic job. This recognition is not only a huge credit to the College but to the city as a whole.”
The presentation ceremony also saw Stonemasonry Lecturer Ray Sumner being awarded a Master Craftsman Certificate. He is one of only 11 people in the UK to be awarded the prestigious award for sharing his stonemasonry skills with others.
The stonemasonry department was also presented with a donation from the Bath Afternoon Decorative and Fine Arts Society.
Chairwoman Annie Friedlander said: “We’re happy to give the stonemasonry department a little help with their work. These are the people responsible for the built environment of the future and we know we’re in safe hands.”
College Principal Matt Atkinson said the triple award ceremony was “a well-deserved celebration of stone.”
He said: “We’re very, very proud of our track record of preparing stonemasons for the world of work. Our staff do an absolutely amazing job of training the craftsmen of the future.
“We have a very hands-on approach to learning and everything we do is centred around the students.
“We take students out of classrooms and give them real life work experience; we make our students as employable as possible.”
