Steven Horton (MD of W Horton & Sons) who is leading the initiative on the Birmingham Gunsmith Academy met with Marc Newton (MD of John Rigby & Co) at the Rigby premises in London.

Marc was very keen to understand the plans behind academy and what the gunsmith standard will produce. The John Rigby & Co business has benefited hugely from the structured training provided by a variety of gunsmithing schools on the continent. So naturally Marc is very keen to get involved with the new Academy initiative at its inception.

By getting involved at this early stage means that John Rigby & Co have an input into the department of education standard for ‘Gunsmith’.

Marc commented ‘this is a fantastic initiative that is very long overdue in the UK, it is great to be on board’.

If you are a gunmaker in the UK, now is the time to get involved and help set the standard. There can only ever be one apprenticeship standard accredited by the UK Government.