The 5th of February marks the 17th annual National Apprenticeships Week, an event that shines a spotlight on the pivotal role apprenticeships play in shaping the future of businesses. The British Academy of Jewellery’s (BAJ) Jewellery Apprenticeship offering provides specialist training to budding jewellery industry workers and helps jewellery businesses to upskill their workforce.
The programme sits in line with the new Standard for the Jewellery, Silversmithing and Allied Trades Professionals, which promotes a closer working relationship between employer and training provider. It also encourages Apprentices to pursue specialist pathways within the industry which enables participating employers to address specific skills gaps in their business, while gaining highly trained, motivated employees.
The course runs for two years, and training mainly takes place in the professional-grade BAJ workshops, with some online sessions. After completing the Level 3 Jewellery Design and Manufacturing programme in year 1, Apprentices will then learn specialist jewellery-making skills to deepen their understanding of the craft during year 2 while continuing to work for their employer.
Over the final four months of the apprenticeship, an assessment will be carried out to con.rm that the Apprentice has attained the core knowledge, skills, and behaviour of both the apprenticeship and their specialist pathway to ensure they complete the programme, ready to excel in their jewellery career.
“The apprenticeship programme is a fantastic way to bring new talent into the industry and ensure the skills needed within the trade are developed and passed on,” says BAJ’s Apprenticeship Coordinator, Miranda Sharpe. “Through a combination of training at BAJ and working with their employer, Apprentices develop a broad set of skills to take to their roles. We feel very confident and passionate about preparing our future Apprentices for successful careers in the jewellery industry and look forward to working with companies that share this goal.”
BAJ’s next round of Apprenticeships will begin in September 2024 at our London and Birmingham campuses. Enrolments have begun and will continue until the cohorts are full. Enrolments can take place up to the start of the training if a place is available. For anyone thinking of taking on an Apprentice, we advise you to get in touch soon so that we can begin the enrolment process by June 2024.
BAJ can put employers in touch with individuals looking for an Apprenticeship using the free recruit an Apprentice service. BAJ can also offer guidance on registering for and accessing Government funding. We’ve received strong interest from learners in our Apprenticeship programme and invite businesses to reach out to to find out more.
If you’re interested in becoming an Apprentice, please note that BAJ is an Apprenticeship training provider, meaning applicants must find an employer, who will employ them as an Apprentice and provide them with a minimum of 30 hours of employment per week.
