George Plant
Competition Stonemasonry Age 22 Qualifications NVQ Level 3 Stonemasonry Apprenticeship Hometown Stoke-on-Trent, England Training Provider City of Bath College Training Manager Kevin Calpin
"Competing at WorldSkills 2007 is a great opportunity to promote stonemasonry as a valuable and rewarding career to young people."
Profile
After finishing high school George was unsure of the career he wanted to pursue. Having observed a group of stonemasons shaping and carving stone, George was sufficiently intrigued and, to discover more, took a Saturday job with his local stonemasonry company:
"I was interested in the creative element of stonemasonry. The more I learnt, the more I began to treat stonemasonry as a career instead of just a job. I especially enjoy the challenge of crafting a block of stone into an ornament that is visually pleasing."
George will not need to look far for advice about WorldSkills as he works with two past WorldSkills competitors. Employer Ian Knapper and colleague Stephen Woolley competed in the 1995 and 2003 competitions respectively.
George acknowledges skills competitions have made him more disciplined in his work and have helped him take the initiative with problem solving. George is excited at the prospect of representing the UK at WorldSkills 2007 and having the chance to win a medal:
"Ian Knapper and Stephen Woolley were both very successful when they competed and I am working very hard to achieve similar success."
George hopes to be running his own stonemasonry business within the next five years.
In his spare time George enjoys listening to music, playing football and socialising with friends.
Employer
Ian Knapper Stonemasons, based in Cheadle, Staffordshire, specialises in using traditional stonemasonry techniques to produce fireplaces, staircases, decorative wall art and sculptures.
Competition Requirements
George will work with hand and power tools to cut and shape natural stone into a monument or facade with complex internal and external features.
