GQA Qualifications and its approved centre, Absolute Training Solutions, have described Katherine Walton as ‘inspirational’ and a true ‘rising star of the fenestration industry’, after they supported her in the achievement of a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Glass Processing.
The 40 year-old Stained Glass Studio Manager at Recclesia Stained Glass is in the limelight, even adding an appearance on Channel 4’s Old House New Home series to her impressive CV after she assisted presenter George Clarke to develop some bespoke windows for one of the show’s projects.
Commenting on her NVQ achievement, Sean Monaghan of Absolute Training Solutions said:
“Katherine was the ideal candidate for the GQA Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Glass Processing. Her passion and enthusiasm for glass and glazing was clear to see, and she produced an excellent portfolio of evidence. Katherine has also been supporting all the glass team members at Recclesia with their own NVQ qualifications, including providing guidance with Health and Safety regulations and on their projects. I was able to observe Katherine as part of our own internal quality assurance process and I was very impressed with her knowledge of the glass sector and the previous projects she had completed, including cathedrals and other listed buildings. We will be using Katherine’s portfolio as an example of good practice, and we look forward to working with her and her team on other training schemes and qualifications in the future.”
Speaking for GQA, the awarding and qualifications-writing organisation who wrote the Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Glass Processing, Jim Gregory, who acted as External Quality Advisor said:
“Having observed Katherine at work and interviewed her as part of the EQA process it was clear that she is very experienced in her role at Recclesia. During the assessment she demonstrated her skill as a stained glass conservator. In conversation with Katherine, her knowledge and enthusiasm for the glass sector she is involved in was clearly evident. It is always a good thing when people understand the value of qualifications as a way of further developing their knowledge, their skills and their careers, and I am very pleased to have been able to support Katherine in her achievement. I’m sure she will be an inspiration to other people thinking of entering the industry.”
Katherine Walton added:
“Vocational qualifications are not only a great means of developing a person’s career. They also play a role in helping to make companies competitive in the markets in which they operate. We are one of the few conservation companies in the UK that continues to maintain a full in-house staff of conservators and traditionally skilled craftsmen and women. We are therefore often chosen to work on some of the UK’s most iconic buildings. The service provided by GQA Qualifications and Absolute Training Solutions Ltd will enable me to deliver the highest standards for our customers.”
Recclesia Stained Glass specialises in the conservation and repair of historic and listed buildings, churches, ancient sites and ruins. The company offers expertise in the conservation and repair of historic stained and leaded glass, alongside the design and creation of new stained glass and leaded lights, and the conservation and creation of associated metalwork, protection and environmentally sympathetic glazing.
The company works on projects ranging from parish churches to cathedrals, castles to stately homes, and village halls to city halls. It works with organisations including English Heritage, the National Trust and a whole host of heritage guardians.
More information on GQA is available at www.gqaqualifications.com.
