British Academy of Jewellery is excited to announce that it has launched a new Apprenticeship programme to provide specialist training to budding jewellery industry workers and help jewellery businesses to upskill their workforce. The new BAJ Apprenticeship offering is in line with the new Standard for the Jewellery, Silversmithing and Allied Trades Professionals.

The new Standard 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 develop talent directly in line with the needs of their business.

BAJ’s new round of Apprenticeships will begin in September, 2023 and will run at its London and Birmingham campuses. The Academy has received strong interest from learners in its Apprenticeship programme and invites businesses to reach out should they wish to connect with candidates.

“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.”

“At British Academy of Jewellery, we are excited to introduce this new apprenticeship standard to our offering,” says BAJ’s Principal and Chief Executive Sharjeel Nawaz. “We are reaching out to the employers network and our local communities to showcase and highlight the many benefits of this apprenticeship and to encourage learners to take a different route to achieve their career ambitions in the Jewellery industry.”

BAJ also runs a wide range of practical and theory based jewellery short courses in London and Birmingham. The courses offer industry a chance to upskill their staff on specific topics including orthographic drawing, CAD, stone setting, and wax carving among others.

Businesses interested in taking on apprentices or learners interested in the programme can contact BAJ at info@baj.ac.uk to find out more.