J
U
e r
l e f t
news L
Y
/
A
U
G
U
S
T
9
9
5
CRAFTS COUNCIL
TRAINING COURSES SUCCESS We lead this issue with a synopsis of recent appraisals carried out on the Crafts Council's Jewellery Design & Production Skills Course and the Pottery Skills Course in Kilkenny. They make for very positive reading and clearly endorse the courses' content and structures. Both students and their respective industries can be encouraged by the success of these two courses to-date. The appraisals were carried out by members of the Council's Board but included key reviewers drawn from the relevant manufacturing sectors served by the courses.
JEWELLERY The success of the Jewellery Design and Production Skills Course can be demonstrated in a very tangible way by looking at employment statistics; further training; acceptance of graduates in workshops abroad and by the level of acceptance of the graduates' work in retail outlets. Of the group of twelve who graduated last year four are in permanent employment in the industry while two are in temporary employment; four have been accepted to the University of Ulster Second Year Jewellery Design Degree; one has been accepted to Edinburgh University for their Jewellery Design Degree and one has been accepted to the workshop of Froukje Idsardi in Holland as part of the EU's PETRA Programme. One of the students who is going on to the University of Ulster has just returned from a similar placement with Gerald Heinrich in Stuttgart. This placement was also made possible by PETRA assistance. This is a fine record only six months after the training was completed. These figures show a widespread acceptance of the standards of training on the course. Third level colleges here and in the UK are happy to accept the graduates, and work placements in Holland, Germany and the UK were secured
after the hosts had seen the standard of work produced. All of the foreign host manufacturers are highly complimentary of the level of skills displayed by the students. The Irish jewellery trade was initially sceptical of the course. However, having seen the standard of the training, the Federation of Irish Jewellers and the Jewellers and Metalworkers Guild have applauded the course and fully endorse its continuation. Congratulations to Jane Huston and all involved. STOP PRESS: The Crafts Council is pleased to announce that the Department of Enterprise and Employment has recently cleared the use of the Council's mainstream ESF support to fund the two year course. It will start on September 25th. Information and application forms can be obtained from Nuala McGrath in our Kilkenny office.
POTTERY The Pottery Course has a similar success story to relate. Now in its fifth year, the course has been renewed on an annual basis since 1990. In every year since the course started, employment offers for graduates pursuing employment in the craft have exceeded the numbers
graduating, which is why the recent course review cleared it for a further three intakes (1996-1998). The employment statistics since 1990 are as follows: Full-time pottery workers Own Pottery College Ceramic Course Other Career Currently unplaced
65% 11% 9% 6% 9%
Nine of the eleven participants who completed the course in 1994 are in full-time employment in Irish potteries. Already the Crafts Council are aware of eight probable job vacancies for the 94/95 cohort and it is extremely likely that there will be 100% placement for the group by September. Continued on following page