Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are vital to the future of the UK jewellery trade, nurturing skilled craftsmanship, design expertise, and technical knowledge among new entrants. These structured training programmes support independent jewellers, retailers, manufacturers, and workshops in building their talent pipelines and maintaining quality standards. Jewellery Focus provides detailed coverage of apprenticeship schemes—highlighting government initiatives, industry-accredited programmes, employer insights, and real-world case studies. Our reporting helps trade professionals understand qualification pathways, recruitment benefits, funding options, and best practice approaches to developing the next generation of jewellery talent.
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Mar- 2016 -16 MarchEconomy
BUDGET: CBI welcomes business rates policy
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has called George Osborne’s Budget, announced today, a “strong and stable Budget for business facing global stormy waters”. CBI director general, Carolyn Fairbairn, said: “The Chancellor has listened to our concerns about the mounting burden on firms and chosen to back business to grow the economy out…
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Nov- 2015 -25 NovemberCurrent Affairs
BRC welcomes extension of business rates review
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has welcomed the extension of the business rates review announced in Chancellor George Osborne’s Autumn Statement today. A major overhaul of the business rates system was announced earlier this year, with uniform rates set to be abolished. Local councils will, by 2020, be able to…
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Aug- 2015 -27 AugustEvents
UK awarded jewellery medal at WorldSkills competition
The UK has been awarded a jewellery medal at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in São Paolo, Brazil. Ben Pritchard, an apprentice on the Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Programme, was awarded a medal of excellence after he created a specific piece of jewellery in a set time at the competition. Pritchard, who…
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5 AugustEvents
Goldsmiths’ Company apprentice to represent UK at WorldSkills competition
Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Programme apprentice Ben Pritchard has been chosen to represent the UK at the 43rd WorldSkills Competition in São Paolo, Brazil. Currently undertaking an apprenticeship at jewellery retailer Emson Haig, Pritchard will represent the UK in the jewellery category of the competition which will take place between August…
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Jul- 2015 -8 JulyCurrent Affairs
Summer Budget 2015: National Living Wage to be introduced
Chancellor George Osborne has announced the launch of a new National Living Wage that will be launched from April next year. Delivering his emergency budget speech earlier today, Osborne announced that all businesses across the UK will have to pay working people over the age of 25 at least £7.20…
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Jan- 2015 -5 JanuaryEvents
Jason Holt awarded CBE in New Year’s honours list
The chief executive of Holts Group and the government’s apprenticeship ambassador for SMEs, Jason Holt, has been awarded the honour of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year’s honours list. Holt, who founded Holts Academy, was recognised for his services to apprenticeships, his…
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Oct- 2014 -24 OctoberEvents
Jason Holt wins award for championing apprenticeships
Holts Group boss Jason Holt has been awarded the inaugural Enterprise Policy Influencer award at the Celebrating Enterprise event. The event, which took place at the House of Lords on October 23, was hosted by the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE) and Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative (SFEDI), and…
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Aug- 2014 -26 AugustEditor's Blog
Now comes the real test for Jason Holt’s apprenticeships vision
It was always an ambitious undertaking, trying to draw a single thread between dozens of craft skills and come up with a qualification that could effectively test the talents of everything from furniture makers to piano tuners (not to mention jewellery, of course). His task involved a huge amount of…
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22 AugustCurrent Affairs
Jason Holt leads new apprenticeship standard for craftsmanship industry
Craft employers, including Jason Holt, MD of gemstone specialist Holts London, have submitted a new apprenticeship standard for the craftsmanship industry. The new Craft Phase 2 Trailblazer will deliver the “quality skills employees need to achieve excellence in the workplace.” The new apprentice standard, led by Jason Holts, has been…
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Apr- 2014 -8 AprilEditor's Blog
The buying begins
It now seems that the upward trend for hallmarking figures is gaining strength. Across the four major assay offices in the UK, the total number of items hallmarked in the first quarter of this year was up by 23 per cent, compared with the same period the previous year. The…
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