Internships

The Plumier Foundation is proud to announce its first offering of internships. Through the generosity of donors, several three-month internships will be granted and each internship will come with a $10,000 stipend for living expenses.

One of the goals of The Plumier Foundation is to introduce ornamental turning to a new generation of talented craftsmen. The practitioners of ornamental turning have always been few, and the average age of these ornamental turners is quite high, and too few young people are replacing them. One of the barriers to entry in ornamental turning has always been the cost of the equipment required. While that cost is not insurmountable, it is quite daunting for the average young craftsperson. The dual challenges of cost and learning how to select appropriate equipment set the bar for entry to ornamental turning beyond reach for many.

To address this, The Plumier Foundation has developed its 3 Month Internship Program. The intern will work in the shop alongside Plumier staff and volunteers, and keep the products of their labor. The staff will assist the intern in learning set ups and operations on various tools and machines, and then provide guidance with specific projects. The first projects will be chosen from a list intended to teach proper set ups and operation of Plumier’s equipment. In time, the intern will be encouraged to take on projects of their own creation with coaching and assistance from the staff.

The Plumier internships will have multiple goals

  • Introduce younger people to ornamental turning and the extraordinary history of innovation with these tools.
  • Provide guidance in gaining access to, and purchasing OT equipment
  • Create a deep understanding of technique to ensure the intern’s ongoing success in subsequent ornamental turning activities
  • Enhance inter-generational dialog on ornamental turning, and its history as an arena of enormous innovation and creativity in tool making.
  • Meet the Plumier Foundation’s educational objectives
  • Generate excitement about ornamental turning generally, both locally and via website and social media activities.

Details

  • The applicants awarded the internships will be granted a stipend of $10,000. This stipend is to cover the expenses of housing, meals, transportation, and other expenses including cost of materials for projects chosen by the intern.
  • The three months of the internship are to be completed within 18 months of the award date; however, the 3 months can be broken up into intervals no shorter than three weeks at a time.
  • The recipient of an internship will be 21 years old and must be currently engaged in some type of craft or trade work on either a professional or serious hobby level. This program is keyed to encouraging a new generation of practitioners, and while a few grey hairs will not eliminate you from consideration, our goal is to create a group of talent with a long commitment to Ornamental Turning.
  • The recipients will be chosen by a committee appointed by The Plumier Foundation board. That committee will have discretion, under special circumstances, to accept applicants that may not fully meet the preceding eligibility requirements.

Application

Process of Selection

  1. The Plumier Foundation will post an application on its website with a clear deadline for acceptance and a date for the announcement of final selection(s). Applicants will be notified by email of their successful submission.
  2. Applications will be accepted up to the deadline, which for 2021 will be August 15th 2021 at 12 Noon. After the deadline, a selection committee chosen by the board of The Plumier Foundation will choose finalists from the applicants and arrange for their interview by select members of the committee. This interview may take place either by phone or through an internet medium such as Go to Meeting or Zoom, or in person as mutually convenient.
  3. After the finalists are interviewed, recipient(s) of the internship(s) will be selected by the committee and notified of their selection.
  4. The timing and execution of the internship will be coordinated with The Plumier Foundation Staff and other recipients. When multiple internships are rewarded it will be beneficial for them to be completed simultaneously whenever possible.
  5. Under certain special circumstances the board, staff, and selection committee have the option to amend the rules.
  6. Any Intern accepted into our program will need to sign an agreement with the Plumier Foundation which outlines our expectations for responsible behavior, contributions to our community and a waiver of Liability in relation to the operation and use of machinery and equipment.

 

Note: All tax liabilities incurred by the recipient from the internship stipend are the recipient’s responsibility. Recipients are encouraged to consult an accountant regarding how best to handle the tax implications of the stipend for their individual tax situations.

Thank you for submitting your application.