Apprenticeships

The Hard Goods APPRENTICESHIP Program 


Studio Concrete, Steel, and Wood : Small Business Practices : Artisan Manufacturing

Inquiries please contact Brandon Gore  :  brandon@goredesignco.com

The Hard Goods Apprenticeship Program honors the spirit and practice of inquiry and learning, of daily and wholly living a creative life, working and living within a community of makers. Our goal is to give apprentices the time to develop their work, and then the means to go out on their own with the tools in fabrication processes and techniques, concrete design, business practices, and the possibilities of artisan manufacturing.

The Hard Goods APPRENTICESHIP Program is a 16 week (with the option of a second 16 weeks) hands-on apprenticeship providing instruction and mentoring. Apprentice participation in the many aspects of operations and hard work at Hard Goods are core opportunities for training and learning in a working studio. 

Your development as a concrete artisan and engagement in studio life is paramount to your experience. You must be committed to learning and mastering this craft. Apprentices are introduced to and educated in the production processes of mold-making, concrete mixing and casting, curing, sealing, metal fabrication, crating and freight, and more.

The apprenticeship is not a 9 to 5 job. The work at Hard Goods is project-based and we work until the project or task is complete. This is sometimes a matter of hours and sometimes days. During the summer months and winter holiday season, schedules fluctuate requiring flexibility.

Hard Goods Apprentices learn to craft concrete at the highest level. You’ll learn how to initiate original design, how to price projects, and work with customers. Apprentices learn to function and thrive within a working concrete artisan business where a sense of ownership and pride of place is an important ingredient to a successful time with us. We look for apprentices who are hard working, thoughtful, open to learning, eager, and respectful. You are a team member who participates in Hard Goods’s practices and values, and contributes to the training and learning environment with a positive cheerful attitude. You work hard at tasks and chores until they are complete. This sometimes requires long days.

The Hard Goods Apprentice is provided a monthly stipend of $1500. It is the responsibility of the apprentice to secure temporary housing, transportation, and meals. Most importantly, apprentices have access to Brandon Gore’s years of concrete fabrication and design experience, and working knowledge as a professional self-supporting concrete artisan.

The ideal applicant is excited about working in a demanding environment, and can work on their own. They have a keen desire to learn about and engage in the life and business of concrete and steel manufacturing practices. The Hard Goods Apprentice has a dedicated work ethic and is physically strong; has an inquiring mind and a positive attitude; is flexible and willing to work diligently in a collaborative environment; and engage fully. They do not need to have years of experience or a formal academic education, but must be committed to the work required to become a professional in the field of concrete design and fabrication. 

SOME QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Why do I want to do an apprenticeship? 

Why the Hard Goods Apprenticeship?

What are my goals for this apprenticeship? 

Specifically, what am I looking to gain from the apprenticeship experience? Skill development? Technical expertise? Aesthetic development? Professional development?

If I have had academic training in furniture design, what do I hope to gain from this apprenticeship that my formal education did not provide me?

What kind of time commitment can I realistically make to this apprenticeship?

Am I willing to relocate for at least 4 months? Do I want to live in NW Arkansas? Can I live in a temporary housing situation?

Am I interested in learning production methods used at Hard Goods?

Where do I want to be creatively and technically at the end of this apprenticeship?

To Apply: send letter of interest, resumé, 5-10 images of current work with descriptions, social media accounts, and 3 references with contact info to: brandon@goredesignco.com 

THE SETTING

Hard Goods is located in the beautiful ozark mountain town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. There are plenty of outdoor activities at our doorstep including world class mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, hiking, zip lining, and more. Eureka Springs itself is a charming historic town with many great restaurants and stores. Bentonville, Rogers, and Fayetteville are 45 minutes away and Branson, MO is about an hours drive.


THE DEAL

The program is a work/trade agreement. The work is project-based and we work until the project or task is complete. Apprentices work on the production of actual client projects, assist with workshops, and studio maintenance. In return they receive a monthly stipend of $1500 to help cover housing, transportation, and food costs. 

Professional development includes taking part in training workshops during your apprenticeship, learning pricing and the economics of concrete, and sitting in on client meetings.

To Apply: send letter of interest, resumé, 5-10 images of current work with descriptions, social media accounts, and 3 references with contact info to: brandon@goredesignco.com

APPRENTICESHIP DEFINED

"Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners in a trade or profession with on-the-job training and accompanying studio practice and study. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships. Most of their training is done while working for an employer or Master Artist who helps the apprentice learn their profession in exchange for their labor. 

Master Artists are individuals recognized within their communities as exemplary practitioners of traditional art forms. Apprentices - individuals who learn under the guidance of Master Artists - typically have some prior experience in the traditional art form, significant promise, and a serious long-term commitment to practicing the art. Traditional arts apprenticeships is two-fold: it is meant to support Master Artists who seek to pass their artistic and cultural knowledge to qualified apprentices; and to provide apprentices with an opportunity to advance their artistic and cultural knowledge to a higher level so that they may continue to pursue the art form beyond the life of the apprenticeship."