Exploring Futures– Louise Haworth

Exploring Futures is a module for our second year students. The module has two parts, students need to seek out work experience and also reflect on their future after the course and complete a personal/professional research document.

Louise says,

“I went to The British Ironwork Centre, run by Clive Knowles, for my work experience. It’s a massive site with a blacksmiths workshop where the public can come and watch demonstrations or commission some metal work from resident ‘smith Annie Stoke, along with a warehouse selling metalwork made onsite and imported from across the world. Whilst I was initially pessimistic and nervous about going I feel that I learnt a heck of a lot from my short time there. The key things being:

– You don’t need a massively stocked workshop to be able to be a working ‘smith
– You have to have an end product or else you don’t get paid
– You don’t stop learning, there will always be a different way of working
– Working with other people is much more fun and can be beneficial
– It is actually possible for me to achieve this goal

Previously I had been feeling that it would be such a long time before I was able to be reliant on a blacksmithing business, but this week showed me that the goal is more within reach than I thought. Especially as I have a forge, an anvil and a hammer- the bare necessities that I need. I really enjoyed my time there and recommend it to anyone that is looking for work experience, although it’s not quite the type of business that we are looking at opening and there are far too many health and safety regulations, the people there make the place and are incredibly welcoming and helpful. It’s a good place to show you that you don’t need all the gadgets, you just need the right few!”.

Del