UK’s first Jewellery T Level students make landmark visit to the Goldsmiths' Company
The UK's first cohort of Craft and Design T Level jewellery students, studying at Aston University Engineering Academy (AUEA) in Birmingham, began their training this month with a visit to the Goldsmiths' Company at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London this week – the historic home of the jewellery industry – to participate in a creative inspiration day, part of the course’s integral work experience programme.
The collaborative partnership between the Goldsmiths’ Company, its Charity, and AUEA, is aimed at increasing the number of young people training and learning the specialist handmaking and design skills required to start a career in the jewellery industry – helping to plug a widening skills gap in the sector. The pioneering jewellery T Level is one of the UK government’s new series of qualifications being implemented by AUEA, supported by the Goldsmiths’ Company and its Charity. (T Levels are two-year vocational qualifications taken after GCSEs as an alternative to A levels.)
A recent report from Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC) revealed that despite significant economic growth in the creative industries sector in the UK over the last decade, student participation in creative further education (FE) had fallen dramatically.
The Goldsmiths’ Company is committed to addressing the challenge of attracting more young people into the jewellery trade, working alongside AUEA to champion innovation, skills and training across jewellery, silversmithing and the allied trades – alongside other organisations and industry partners. Integral to the T Level is the partnerships with local employers in the Midlands, including some of Birmingham’s oldest jewellery businesses based in the infamous Jewellery Quarter. There is high demand for new talent from jewellery businesses operating across the UK, due to an ageing workforce and other factors.
This year AUEA received a £500k Landmark Grant from the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity to establish the Goldsmiths Institute. The Goldsmiths’ Landmark Grants Programme was established to fund projects that accelerate skills development in the UK over the next ten years. The Goldsmiths Institute, set to open in 2025, will offer comprehensive training to young people from year nine through to sixth form (13/14 to 17/18), equipping them with a wide range of trade skills. The course offer includes the development of curriculum resources which will be made freely available to schools across the country.
A craft skills crisis
Chris Oliver, Head of Professional Training at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, who has been collaborating with AUEA to develop its jewellery qualifications, emphasised the importance of reintegrating jewellery skills back into the curriculum to address the growing shortage of young talent in the trade and industry.
“Embedding jewellery skills in mainstream education is absolutely essential, particularly after a decline in formal training opportunities, teaching, and qualifications over the last two decades. We are currently facing a craft skills crisis. The collaboration between the Goldsmiths’ Company – which has invested in the skills of the trade for seven centuries – The Goldsmiths’ Centre and AUEA’s new Goldsmiths Institute, is critical to closing the skills gap in the jewellery industry and inspiring more young people to forge careers in the trade.”
Seven centuries of investment in innovation, skills, and training
For 700 years, the Goldsmiths’ Company has been a proud champion of innovation, skills and training. Since 1327, the Company has supported the training of 31,400 young people in the trade. In 2012, the Goldsmiths’ Company furthered its commitment, founding the Goldsmiths’ Centre in London (2012). The Centre is dedicated to nurturing, training and developing jewellers and silversmiths to help bridge the jewellery industry’s skills gap.
“Goldsmiths can help me through its connections”
The creative inspirations event for the pioneering cohort of T Level Jewellery students at the Goldsmiths’ Company was designed to highlight both the history of goldsmithing and jewellery, and contemporary craft and trade skills. Students visited the Company’s Library – the UK’s largest specialist Library for jewellery and silversmithing – and connected with 70 jewellers, silversmiths and designers exhibiting at Goldsmiths’ Fair, who have all forged successful careers in the trade and craft.
Kay, one of the six pioneering Jewellery T Level students, commenting on the visit, said:
“I’ve been really inspired coming here to the Goldsmiths’ Hall because I got to speak to other people who work in jewellery, and I got to learn what they’re inspired by, which has also been really inspiring to me.”
Youmna, another student on the course, said:
“I think the Goldsmiths can help me in many ways [in my career] – through its connections, its experience, knowledge, history, and understanding of new techniques [for making jewellery]. I’ve found everyone very friendly… it’s been liberating to be here.”
Daniel Locke-Wheaton, Executive Principal at Aston University Engineering Academy (AUEA), who has been leading on the development of AUEA's state of the art facilities in Birmingham where the Goldsmiths Institute will be based, said:
“With an ageing workforce and widening skills gap, there has never more so been an important time to create a dedicated progression route from schools into the industry. Our new T Level in Jewellery is built on the direct skills demand from employers and involves enhanced work placements supporting progression to Apprenticeships and or University. Each of our new T Level Jewellers are excited and inspired by their journey ahead and we are extremely grateful for the support and mentorship provided by The Goldsmiths’ Company and its Charity.”
Supporting and developing the next generation
Reflecting on the partnership between Goldsmiths and AUEA, Michelle O’Brien, Head of Charitable Partnerships for the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity, said:
“The Goldsmiths’ Company Charity’s support for the Goldsmiths Institute at Aston University Engineering Academy is a shining example of a collaborative approach to bolster the long-term sustainability of the silversmithing and jewellery trade, by supporting and developing the next generation of designers and makers. Through our grant, we could not be more pleased to be working in partnership with The Goldsmiths’ Centre, AUEA, employers in the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter and students to put jewellery making and silversmithing at the heart of the new Jewellery T Level.”
