It is becoming harder than ever for unqualified workers in the stone industry to obtain on-site work, a trend welcomed by Stone Federation Great Britain.

Federation chief executive Jane Buxey said: "There are clear and growing signs that contractors realise both the short and long term importance of using skilled stoneworkers.

"We find that companies whose workforce do not have the appropriate qualifications are being turned down when they apply to tender."

Ms Buxey said responsible contractors realise there is so much that can go wrong in untrained and unqualified hands and this can lead to expensive repair and renovation work for them at some point in the future.

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"Our own members have long been committed to a qualified workforce and our Trainee Mason of the Year competition and UK Masonry Skills Challenge are ways in which we demonstrate that.

"We place a major emphasis on providing training opportunities and urge non-members to join and take advantage of the services we provide." she added.

The latest scheme introduced by the federation is a two-year apprenticeship in façade preservation. A new course is planned for May.

In addition experienced stone restorers and cleaners are currently being encouraged to apply for an NVQ level 2 qualification training course.

The federation's training officer David Priestman has just completed his qualification as an internal verifier, which enables him to approve assessor and candidate's portfolios across all occupations within the stone and wider building industry.

(GK/JM)