Schools Design Prize recognises hard working students

Photograph shows the Telephone Box Light designed by Sam Reeve of Oakbank School Keighley

Part of our mission at The Furniture Makers’ Company is to educate the next generation to create a skilled and talented workforce for the future. This begins with schoolchildren – by working directly with schools we can build confidence in young people and inspire them to consider a career in this exciting and rewarding industry.

In 2013 a group of our members led by Past Master Jonathan Hindle and the V&A published Modern British Furniture – design since 1945 by design historian Lesley Jackson. Beautifully illustrated throughout, the book is the definitive work on this period of furnishing design.

In 2014, a pilot scheme was launched with sponsorship from our Corporate Members BrightHouse and B&Q to give 450 secondary schools a copy of the book as a prize for their best GCSE or A Level Design & Technology student, as nominated by their teacher.

The pilot was so successful that this year we have sent out another 900 books to schools throughout the UK to reward young talent and inspire their future learning and career choices.

This year we are grateful for support from the Robin and Lucienne Day Foundation.

We are also fortunate to have generous sponsorship from many of our members and industry firms such as CPS Wales and NEJ Stevenson, plus several of our Corporate Members – BrightHouse, B&Q, Howdens, Community Playthings, Axminster Tools & Machinery and Blum.

Charles Vernon, Chairman of the Training & Education Committee at The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “As the furnishing industry’s charity we want to encourage new talent to enter our industry and have put in place an extensive education programme to help create a powerful workforce for the future.

“Our Schools Design Prize is one of several education initiatives we run and we hope that many of the schoolchildren involved are inspired to go into further education or training within the furnishing industry.” 

“I do think that this sort of initiative is valuable. Design and Technology is not always viewed in the same light as other academic subjects and therefore strong candidates often opt out – rather than becoming strong designers / makers / creative professionals in the future.”  Mrs Wickham, Teacher, Surrey

You can see our gallery of some of the prize winners here.