The Educational Use of Aggregate Sites Produced by the National Stone Centre Porter Lane, Middleton by Wirksworth, Derbyshire, Derbyshire DE4 4LS

NSC Home Page > EUAS Contents > 17 Occupations and professional learning opportunities

 

APPENDICES

17 Occupations and professional learning opportunities

Introduction

The variety of occupations and learning opportunities offered by the industry is probably unrivalled by any other in the United Kingdom. The range of concerns from multinationals to sole traders, the various levels of sophistication involved in the wider quarrying industry and the geographical distribution of the industry (including offshore operations) add to its appeal in this respect.

This appendix comprises two illustrative lists, neither of which claim to be comprehensive in covering the whole of the industry. The first enumerates the job categories of people employed in a single large family company, Foster Yeoman Ltd, working quarries in Somerset and West Scotland. Particular thanks are due to Peter Chapman for his contribution in this regard. In addition to specific occupations listed, companies also source a range of expertise from specialist consultants, such as geotechnical/slope control engineers, hydrologists, ecologists, etc., to advise on particular aspects. Other people are employed on an occasional basis as need arises. For example two companies have engaged falconers as part of their overall estate management and others have employed archaeologists to oversee and co-ordinate the work of archaeological trusts commissioned to undertake research in advance of extraction in compliance with planning conditions, or railway contractors to build and operate sidings and trains.

The second list also sets out the professional areas subject by subject for which the industry offers opportunities for either employment or learning. Clearly there is considerable overlap with the first list, but in certain areas such as some of the social sciences and "crafts", there are additional fields. Many of the categories are generic and for example their coverage might not necessarily be very explicit; electronics or ICT might include highly specialist fields such as laser profiling or CAD applications to aid resource estimation; pavement/highways engineering might cover asphalt technologists; geology or geotechnics might include people conducting a complex range of wearing or weathering tests on stone for roadsurfacing or buildings.

Obviously in some cases, under appropriate supervision, quarries can form a base for otherwise unrelated activities e.g. of an artist (poet, painter, sculptor or photographer) in residence, a backdrop for film or fashion advertising; in others, the industry may also be a direct or indirect source of employment. For further information, some of the main trade and professional body contacts are listed in the main section of this document.

Furthermore, as also noted in the main section of the report, the learning experience may be a school or college placement, a staff exchange, a course-related visit or part of CPD experience.

List 1: Employment at Foster Yeoman Limited

1. Accountant
2. Apprentice
3. Audit Manager
4. Caretaker
5. Carpenter
6. Cashier
7. Cleaner
8. Company Operations Plan Manager
9. Computer Analyst
10. Computer Programmer
11. Consultant Environmental/ Hydrology/Geology/Archaeology etc.
12. Credit Control
13. Data Processing Manager
14. Depot Manager
15. Driver/Haulier
16. Electrician
17. Engineer
18. European Operations
19. Fabricator
20. Farm Manager
21. Gardener
22. General Maintenance/Housekeeping Gang
23. Groom
24. Harbour Master
25. Health and Safety - Manager/Advisor/Director
26. Historian
27. Housekeeper
28. Laboratory Technician
29. Lands and Planning - Manager/Assistant
30. Mail Room
31. Marine Supervisor
32. Marketing
33. Mining Engineer
34. Motor Mechanic
35. Office Manager
36. Painter and Decorator
37. Personal Assistant
38. Personnel Manager
39. Pilot
40. Production Manager
41. Public Relations Manager
42. Purchase Ledger
43. Purchasing Manager
44. Quality Control Manager
45. Quarry Manager/Shift Managers/Departmental Managers/Depot Managers
46. Quarry Operative - Drilling/Blasting/Processing etc.
47. Rail Maintenance
48. Rail Operations Manager
49. Rail Operative
50. Rail Operations Programmer
51. Rail Planner
52. Receptionist
53. Recycling Company
54. Retail Sales Operations (Hardy Aggs.)
55. Sales Manager
56. Sales Person
57. Secretary
58. Security
59. Shipping Manager
60. Stores
61. Systems Analyst
62. Technical Manager
63. Training Advisor - NVQs etc.
64. Transport Manager
65. Transport/Production Distribution Manager
66. Wages
67. Weighbridge
68. Welder

NB: there are sub-divisions of some of the above.
Compiled for The National Stone Centre by Peter Chapman, Foster Yeoman Ltd, 1st March 2004

List 2: Opportunities for Learning: Examples of subjects

Subject Areas

Science	Earth science Biology Physics Chemistry Geophysics Geochemistry Ecology Geotechnics Geomorphology Palaeontology Horticulture Agriculture Hydrology/hydrogeology
Engineering/technology:	Mechanical engineering Chemical engineering Electrical/electronics ICT Materials handling/process engineering Civil engineering Structural engineering Metallurgy engineering Mining Mineral process engineering Pavement/highways engineering Energy management Marine engineer Concrete technology Explosives engineering
Social sciences:	Management Business administration Personnel management Marketing/advertising Planning Architecture Geography Architecture Public/community relations Estate management Surveying: minerals land building Industrial history
"Crafts":	Building/Construction Conservation Masonry Photography Dry stone walling Sculpting Design/art