Derek Hale, the Quarry Foreman at Forest Pennant company Forest of Dean Stone Firms in Gloucestershire, has become the first person at the company and one of only a handful in the industry to have achieved the Mineral Products Qualification Council (MPQC) level 2 qualification in Dimension Stone Operations. He received his certificate from the company's Health & Safety Officer, Kirk Imm. What the company liked about the qualification is that it had no multiple-choice questions, just the assessment of Derek’s application of real, practical skills and experience.