Ollie Clack (above centre), an apprentice with Chichester stone specialists CWO, received the Trainee of the Year cup and cerificate at Stone Federation Great Britain\'s annual conference in November from former England and Manchester City footballer Mike Summerbee and Stone Federation President David Richardson (left). In presenting the awrd, Mike said it was important to encourage young people to enter a profession, whether it was stonemasonry or football, and that proper training was the lifeblood of any successful career.

Ollie, now 19, joined CWO in 2005. He says: "Before I joined the company it\'s true to say I wasn\'t really aware of the industry but now I take great notice of all the beautiful stonework I see around me. I\'ve got involved in a trade that has given me everything I was looking for. I have always been an artistic person and stonemasonry has taught me respect for the time, effort and perseverance needed to build stone structures."

Adam Stone, CWO\'s Technical Director, commented: "Ollie is a very capable individual, quickly mastering any task we put in front of him with enthusiasm."

Ollie attends Weymouth College, where one of his lecturers is Richard Mortimer. Richard says: "He is a pleasure to teach and he has achieved a very high standard of work in his first year at college."