Lucy Rogers
COLUMN SPARK
eonardo da Vinci was
apprenticed aged 14 as a
‘studio boy’ to the sculptor
and painter Andrea del
Verrocchio in Florence. In
the workshop, he would have
had practical experience of drafting,
chemistry, metallurgy, metal work,
plaster-casting, leather work, mechanics,
and carpentry, as well as the chance to
improve his creative skills in drawing,
painting, sculpting, and modelling. At
the age of 26 he became an independent
master – he had all the skills he needed to
set up on his own.
Today, this type
of ‘education’ is
unavailable – and
probably, at the
time, it was only
available to a very
few. So what should
you do if you want
to be a maker
today? Do you need
qualifications?
When I started thinking about this,
I had clumped ‘qualification’ and
‘licence’ together in my head. However,
a qualification shows that something
has been studied to a certain level,
and is awarded forever. For example,
‘A’ Levels, a Higher National Certificate
(HNC), or a vocational City and Guilds
(cityandguilds.com) are all qualifications.
A licence is usually a permit from a
relevant body that allows you to do
something, is often temporary and can
be revoked. For example, in the UK, the
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) can
issue a licence for the manufacture
of explosives, and Ofcom can issue a
‘spectrum innovation licence’ in order
to use cellular bands in research and
development. Surprisingly, you don’t
need a licence to operate a high-poweredlaser in the UK. Some licences require
you to pass a test first. Probably the most
common licence is a driving licence.
For some professions, such as in
medicine, aviation, and civil engineering,
qualifications are very important – and
you can’t get a licence to perform those
jobs without them. However, for the
majority of making, the piece of paper is
not as important as the skill.
I have some vocational qualifications,
such as the City and Guilds in Wood
Turning. So why did I do the course? At
the time, it was the cheapest and easiest
way for me to become proficient at that
skill. I much prefer
to be taught than to
try to teach myself- and YouTube
wasn’t invented
back then!
There are many
opportunities to
learn in unofficial
environments such
as meetups, workshops, and clubs, as well
as the many things you can find on the
internet – from courses and videos, to
forums, and even Twitter.
Some skills require specialist
equipment though – and formal training
establishments are great for this. I am
envious of the students on the BA (Hons)
in Model Making (hsmag.cc/TiPlCv)
course at the Arts University
Bournemouth, and those studying at the
School of Jewellery at Birmingham City
University (hsmag.cc/ysZULC).
Qualifications are often a stepping-
stone that give you opportunities, such
as working for others. But in many cases
for many makers, formal qualifications
are not actually required. There’s only
so much you can learn from studying.
However, practical experience and regular
practice are essential.
Learning the ropes
Do you need qualifications to be a maker?
Lucy Rogers
@DrLucyRogersLucy is a maker, an engineer,
and a problem solver. She is
adept at bringing ideas to life.
She is one of the cheerleaders
for the maker industry and is
Maker-in-Chief for the Guild
of Makers: guildofmakers.orgL
So what should you do if
you want to be a maker
today? Do you need
qualifications?