Business
With the current generation of master craftspeople aging out of the jewelry industry, demand for professionally skilled workers is high. But a number of barriers stand in the way of developing an effective education-to-employment pipeline for prospective jewelers, including issues such as pay scale disparities, gender bias, a lack of on-the-job training, and misaligned expectations between the industry and educators. Award-winning jewelry designer, goldsmith, author, and educator, Nanz Aalund has been spearheading a movement to raise awareness about these issues and to help develop the necessary training and apprenticeship programs to meet the industry’s growing needs. In this episode, Aalund discusses her own path to becoming a jeweler and educator and identifies the existing obstacles and opportunities to ensure a steady flow of future qualified jewelers.