[Jewelry making - Article 00081] - Re: [Orchid] Self taught Vs Formal training

[JMDesignFIPG]

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Hello fellow orchidians,

    I have been reading the comments on the self taught Vs formal
    training and it made me think. I am in semi retirement so I have a
    certain amount of spare time, so I thought I would approach my local
    adult education office and see if they would be interested in me
    teaching at one of their jewellery classes. I was asked for a list of
    my formal qualifications. I told them that I did not have any formal
    qualifications. I had left school at the age of 15 in 1961 and went
    straight into an apprenticeship as a goldsmith, I could have attended
    college on what was called "day release", while an apprentice, but my
    master discouraged me from doing so, so I finished my apprenticeship
    without a single day at a college and no formal qualifications. 

    Although I have trade recognition being a "Freeman of the Worshipful
    Company of Goldsmiths" and a "Fellow of the Institute of
    Professional Goldsmiths", I do not apparently have the qualifications
    to teach my trade. I was told by the education official that I would
    have to attend a college myself to obtain a qualification that would
    enable me to teach something that I have been doing successfully for
    the past 46 years. In my time I have made items for royalty all over
    the world. I have won awards for my skills. I am regarded as a high
    quality craftsman by my peers. But I am not regarded as qualified to
    teach. So I gave up asking, which is a pity as I would have enjoyed
    passing on some of my skills to keen beginers. I am afraid that over
    here in the UK, the teaching community is a closed shop, most
    teachers in the jewellery colleges have gone through the college
    system, made the right connections and became teachers themselves,
    many without ever working in the outside world. There are of course
    the exeptions, some colleges are not blind to the qualities of bench
    trained craftsmen. To end I would say to anyone seeking
    qualifications, get as many as you can, but also try to work at the
    bench alongside a craftsman, as you will learn by experience far
    quicker than at a college. Then with the qualifications from college
    and skills learnt at the bench, you can suppliment your income by
    teaching if you need to. 

    Peace to all James Miller FIPG, a grumpy old goldsmith in the UK. 

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