Harriet's 'life-changing' decision to enrol at York College leads to 'special' Minster apprenticeship

Having completed Level 2 and 3 courses in Stonemasonry at York College, Harriet was accepted onto the apprenticeship programme at one of the world’s most famous cathedrals.

Learning the trade alongside Level 2 York College Stonemasonry apprentices Freya De Lisle, Jemima Davies and Geraint Pounder, Harriet now believes she has found her true calling at a “really special place”.

She also describes enrolling at College as the “life-changing decision” that set her on such an exciting career pathway.

“I came to the University of York as a student and did a Philosophy degree,” Harriet explained. “I then wanted to stay here after graduating but found I was doing admin and waitressing jobs that I wasn’t very good at and didn’t really enjoy. 

“That can wear you down and I had a few years when I was just trying to find my way, before I realised that going to York College and working towards securing an apprenticeship was actually an option. It was a life-changing decision, because I was really struggling before and sometimes you don’t know what’s out there.

“I wanted to do a trade, because I knew it would be something I could take anywhere with me and rely upon for employment and I found out that stonemasonry was something you could do in York. Obviously, everyone walks past the Minster and sees all those amazing carvings and I knew that I liked working with my hands. 

“I applied for the apprenticeship at the Minster, but didn’t get it first time around, so that’s when I came to College as a student and did the Level 2 and Level 3 courses. I was 27 and they were full-time courses but I was in three days a week, so I was lucky enough to still be able to do part-time work as well. 

“The skills I acquired at College then helped get me on to the apprenticeship and I feel very lucky because the Minster is a really special place to work and such an iconic building that just makes you happy. It’s a beautiful environment and you get to do really lovely work.

“It's also good to be doing something that’s worthwhile on a building that’s special to people. It was special to me before I even thought about working here.” 

Harriet loved her time at College so much that she is currently attending our Furniture Making and Creative Crafts evening classes.

On how the standard of tuition and workshop facilities have provided her with the skills required to make her a perfect apprenticeship candidate, Harriet added: “College is a great environment to work on stones that won’t be going on a building, because there’s a bit less pressure and you can build up confidence that you then take into the workplace. Doing the Level 2 and 3 courses gave me a good start with banker masonry (the manual preparation of stones for use in buildings) and I really enjoyed being at College.

“I loved getting my own tray of tools to work with and it felt like a little break from the world for me at the time. There was a broad range of ages on the courses and we just had a really good time in class. 

“I made friends there and one of them is now working at Durham Cathedral. (Stonemasonry tutor) Paul Hill is really good and all the tutors know the industry and have great contacts.

“The facilities also make it a really good working environment and better than some workplaces. Everybody gets a banker with an extraction unit and we had everything we needed.”

Despite stonemasonry’s tradition as a male-dominated profession, Harriet believes those gender barriers are coming down now – an opinion that is supported by the presence of her fellow apprentices Freya and Jemima.

“We have quite a lot of women working here,” Harriet declared. “Maybe, 20 or 30 years ago, things were a bit different and, at first, I might have felt a bit apprehensive, but I quickly found things are really good in that respect.”

Harriet has always enjoyed DIY and creating with her hands but argues that a practical mind is probably more important in stonemasonry than your art and craft skill levels.

It also helps if you genuinely love your job.

“I’m doing something that I like and, when I’m carving stone, you can get really absorbed in a task, which doesn’t always feel like work,” she pointed out.

The appeal of a trade that you can take with you wherever you might want to be in the world and also helps keep you fit and healthy is not lost on Harriet, either.

“I’d like to try working in France one day,” she explained. “I really enjoy carving and would love to go in that career direction, but you also feel lucky working on the masonry side when you’re out on the building in the summer in the fresh air.

“It’s quite physical work, too, so I feel it’s good for your health.”

The satisfaction of completing a successful piece of work takes some beating, too.

“Whilst I’ve been at the Minster, I also had the chance to do a Foundation Degree with the Cathedrals Workshop Fellowship and there was a carving module,” she said. “I took a cast of one of the stiff leaf capitals on the South Choir Isle and made a copy of it in stone and really enjoyed that because it felt like it was me and what I’m meant to do and I was proud of it.

“I’ve done waitressing and you never get the finished product to show that you’ve done a good job because, when you wipe down a table, somebody sits down and makes it messy again! But, when you’ve finished a project with a stone you’re working on, it feels great.”

In addition to banker masonry and carving, on-site conservation is another valuable skill Harriet is learning during her apprenticeship.

Modern machinery, like grinders and power tools, meanwhile, are blended with more traditional methods as mallets and chisels continue to provide unrivalled levels of craftmanship.

It’s such skills that Harriet, now 31, feels a responsibility to hand down to future generations.   

“I feel like I’m learning something new every day on the apprenticeship, even during tasks that might seem simple,” she admitted. “There are people who have been here years fixing stones and I don’t think you get that level of experience everywhere.

“They have so many tips and tricks, even if it’s moving something in and out of buildings to make the job easier for yourself. There’s also carvers who really know what they’re doing and people who can show you how to set out.

“I feel it’s important to preserve the skills with the way the world is changing, because so much of the knowledge you get is passed on from person to person. It makes you want to do a good job in terms of learning the profession and I try and go around and learn as much as I can.”

York Minster Master Mason Lindsay Hogarth is a former York College apprentice himself.

He now oversees the work of the current apprentices and said: “I’m pleased with their commitment to the high standard of workmanship required here and their attention to detail.”

Outlining the Minster’s commitment to gender equality in an industry where it hasn’t always been prevalent, Lindsay added: “Approximately half of our team are female and there’s absolutely no reason why a person’s gender should be a barrier to a career in the profession. 

“Our focus when recruiting is for an individual with the right attitude, drive, and willingness to learn. Stonemasonry is technique not physique.”

On working with College as an education partner, meanwhile, Lindsay declared: “York College offers a high-quality training programme. The tutors are known to us personally, and we have worked with them professionally in the past. 

“As a former York College apprentice myself, I also found that my work experience enabled me to complete the criteria of the course well.”

To learn more about our Level 2 Stonemasonry Apprenticeship, please click here

For details of our latest apprenticeship vacancies visit here

Do you feel an apprenticeship might be for you? Then, please take a look at our latest vacancies here

You can also gain further information from employers and tutors at the York College & University Centre Apprenticeship Recruitment Fair during our Open Event this evening (Monday, February 10th, 5.30pm to 8pm). Register a place here