Certificate in Jewellery Techniques

Izaak Khan makes jewellery in his spare time to sell to galleries. Picture / Graeme Sedal

THE QUALIFICATION
Certificate in Jewellery Techniques
Manukau Institute of Technology
Phone: 0800 626252
Annual salary: apprentices initially minimum wage, jewellers eventually $40,000-$60,000.

Manukau Institute of Technology has tailored a full-time, two-year course for people who want to be professional jewellers.

The Certificate in Jewellery Techniques is a level four NZQA qualification and graduates can attain employment or self-employment in the jewellery field.

Students undertake projects to develop a wide variety of professional skills in jewellery fabrication, casting and enamelling, stone setting, engraving and metal forming techniques while they are producing items of jewellery.

Students are in the classroom and workshop for 21 hours over three days each week - Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

They are also advised to study for 14 hours each week in their own time.

MIT has two 17-week semesters a year.

The course is practically oriented and classes are in a studio/workshop environment.

Assessment is through practical work and students keep a workbook and visual diary.

Students exhibit their work at the annual Jewellers and Watchmakers of New Zealand trade fair each October. Applicants are expected to have some previous art or craft experience at Sixth Form Certificate, Seventh Form levels or NCEA credits at levels one, two or three in Art.

Each applicant is interviewed and must present a portfolio of work.

Applications for the 22 places each year close at the end of October, but late applications are considered.

The course begins in February at the Lovegrove Crescent, Manukau, campus of the School of Visual Arts. Fees for the course are approximately $4770 each year, including GST, with an additional $1000 to cover costs of tools and materials.

Graduates can pursue further studies with MIT's Bachelor of Visual Arts, Diploma in Visual Arts, or through apprenticeship training.

THE GRADUATE
Izaak Khan, 28
Tool sales consultant
Regal Castings
Auckland
Graduated 1999

In my last year at high school I did work experience in the jewellery trade and it was very enlightening.

I had done metal work, technical drawing and art and I wanted to combine all those things and after work experience I looked for a course.

I moved from Christchurch to go to Manukau Institute of Technology.

At the time I was 17. One of the reasons I wanted to do jewellery was because I liked working with my hands and working with metals and another reason was that girls like jewellery.

The course gave me the technical skills of the trade.

Jewellery is a very practical trade and you have to physically do it and the course was excellent for that.

You are taught things that are practically useful in the industry.

I got a job before I finished the course and since then I have had various jobs in the industry.

I make jewellery in my spare time and sell to galleries. Without the knowledge I learned at Manukau, that wouldn't be possible.

I believe I am the only person in New Zealand making a special type of jewellery called mokume gane, which combines two metals to look like wood.

THE EMPLOYER
Roland Plank
Managing director, K.H. Plank manufacturing wholesalers, and organiser of the Jewellery and Watchmakers of New Zealand Trade Fair, North Shore

Although the trade fairs are for supplying to the retail industry, the student exhibitors show the retailers there are some up and coming young designers.

The end result of the course is pretty good. It most certainly improves people's chances of getting a job in the industry.

It is a stepping stone and a good grounding. It demonstrates to an employer that a person has given some consideration to having a career in the jewellery industry.

It lets you know that they have a bit of talent or knack for it.

They learn the trade lingo and how to handle all the tools. We are production jewellers, we supply the retail industry, so we might not be doing so much creative work. We tend to do more of the technical or disciplined type of work.

The course gives students a good background and gives them the chance to do some creative work and see what they can or cannot do.

Some people on the course may find they do not have the creative flair they thought they had, but they still like working with jewellery, with their hands and their eyes.

They may just find out that our sort of work is more suited to their abilities.

On the web
www.jwnz.co.nz