Expanding Horizons: Making Apprenticeships Accessible
"We don’t want apprenticeships to be a closed door - we want them to be open to talent from all backgrounds, across the whole country. The future of craft depends on it." For centuries, apprenticeships have been the backbone of the jewellery and silversmithing industries, passing skills from master to maker. However, traditional routes into the trade have not always been easily accessible to everyone, often favouring those with existing industry connections or those based in London. Since 2012, facilitators of the Goldsmiths’ Company Apprenticeship Scheme, Helen Dobson, Barry Moss and Robin Kyte, have been working to change that.
From expanding opportunities beyond the capital, to ensuring apprenticeships are welcoming to all, their mission is to reshape training for the modern world. This includes challenging perceptions about the Goldsmiths’ Centre by making it more accessible for individuals outside the Goldsmiths’ Company membership to take on apprentices, and creating a more inclusive, open pathway into the trade.
In this discussion, Barry, Robin, and Helen share their vision for a future where apprenticeships are truly open to all - breaking down barriers, reaching new communities, and securing the future of British craftsmanship.
Breaking the London Bubble
Helen: COVID was a time of great change; everything moved online. We had to adapt quickly. This shift taught us a lot, and allowed us to become more national and open up to a wider audience. However, apprenticeship training still requires on-site interaction, which poses challenges for remote learning.
For centuries, the Goldsmiths’ Company's Apprenticeship Scheme was London and South-East based. Over 22 months during the pandemic, we finally expanded the scheme to include the Midlands. This was a significant learning curve to ensure apprentices there receive the same opportunities and experiences as those in London. We’re working hard to make sure there are no barriers to access and to make training accessible, no matter where apprentices are in the country.
The addition of the Midlands has allowed us to diversify our employers and gain a fresh perspective. Many of these employers are larger manufacturers, in contrast to the micro and small workshops we’ve worked with in the past. Their involvement has brought a different viewpoint into our network, and the opportunity to compare experiences with other employers has been valuable. It’s one thing to hear advice, but when it comes from a competitor or someone in your supply chain, it makes you rethink your approach. This expansion has not only allowed us to diversify, but also improve and circulate best practices.
One big project we’re currently collaborating on is the Goldsmiths Institute - a major project supported by a £500,000 grant through the Landmark Programme from the Goldsmiths’ Foundation and based at Aston University Engineering Academy in Birmingham. We’re contributing pro bono, alongside local employers, to design a curriculum for the academy’s new jewellery T level. The aim is to align training with industry needs, provide quality placements, and create a clear pathway for young people into the sector. Employers in the region are eager to bring in young talent, and this project will make it easier for them to access training opportunities in future. We’re hopeful that it will help increase the number of people entering the industry in the Midlands, which will then benefit employers who are looking for skilled apprentices.
An Industry that Empowers All
Robin: The industry has become much more inclusive especially when it comes to training. I think it’s clear now that a shift is happening. The challenge now is to get employers to see people for their true qualities. Some in the industry might be very proud and resistant to change, but when they come to the Goldsmiths’ Centre, they can see the work done by people, who are excelling in their craft. They might realise that this could be happening in their own workshops too, and that makes them rethink their approach. That’s the key, showing them new ways of doing things.
Barry: It’s so important to make sure those skills aren’t lost. We need to challenge old attitudes and demonstrate that the industry can thrive with diverse talent. Having been part of this process has made me see that the company has flourished because of the steps we’ve taken to include and train more people.
Helen: The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Jewellery Foundation Programme is helping push that agenda. It allows employers to come into the Centre and meet students, where they can see their skills firsthand. This has shifted the industry and is helping to break the glass ceiling. It’s not completely broken, but the hole is widening!
Opening up the Scheme to Non-Freemen Employers
Helen: Another pilot we’ve run is focused on helping non-Freemen employers, who don’t have a Freeman (a member of the Goldsmiths’ Company) within their business, but who have an apprentice that they want to train and want to access the support of the apprenticeship scheme. We’ve been exploring whether an alternative route onto the scheme can allow these businesses to successfully train their apprentice without a Freeman in place. This pilot has just concluded, and it’s now part of the scheme.
It’s the first time ever that such a route has been available, and we’re hopeful it will further break down barriers to training. We’re always evaluating, taking feedback, and adapting to what’s happening in the trade. The scheme continues to evolve in order to remain relevant and modern, and these pilots have played a crucial role in that.
“There’s still a perception around being involved with the Goldsmiths’ Company, where some people think that if you’re part of it, you get preferential treatment. Over the years, we've worked hard as a team to break down these barriers. A lot of the work done by the Goldsmiths’ Centre and its staff is focused on raising awareness and ensuring that high-quality training is accessible to everyone. We’re always open to feedback, and that helps us continue improving. My hope for the future is that these barriers are no longer a conversation. Everyone should be able to access good training, regardless of their background.”
– Helen Dobson
Training Apprentices
Barry: By training someone properly, as on the Jewellery Foundation Programme or apprenticeship, you’re giving them an understanding of the business from within. You’re embracing the entire industry and bringing people in from all parts of it, saying, “We’re all going to learn this together.” These individuals will go back into companies. The companies will benefit because they’ll have someone who can say, “I know where we can get this done because I worked with them on the scheme.”
If we want to keep our industry afloat and develop at a high level, it’s about sharing knowledge - something that both the apprenticeships and the Foundation Programme provide for everyone: employers, trainers, and apprentices alike. It’s not just about the value of the training. It’s the fact that they’re learning diverse subjects they’ll all encounter at some stage and may need more information about.
Helen: The Day Release training scheme gives apprentices significant training. They learn between five and eight skills a year and start to build their knowledge, skills and networks which will see them into their future career.
Robin: The employer marks their apprentice every three months, and the apprentice reflects on their learning. We ask, “What have you learned? What’s worked? What should we focus on next?” The idea is that the employer and apprentice can contribute to that conversation. I think that’s an important soft skill, which will help you continue developing.
Looking Ahead
Robin: My hope for the future of the industry is that we don’t lose hand skills. The most important thing is that those core skills are taught and introduced first - that’s the foundation. But making hand skills central, while also embracing modern technology, is crucial. We can’t let technology take over, but it must be integrated. For me, if the creative element is lost, that’s not what our industry is about. When you make something, you’re putting a piece of yourself into it. There’s love in every piece you create, and that pleasure comes through in the work.
Barry: My hope for the future of the industry is the freedom to share information without question. The transparency to see what others are doing and to respect the skills behind the process, without putting unnecessary stress on anyone. I think that’s what we’re working towards - people being able to do their jobs and be supported in doing so. It’s the essence of what we do.
The beauty of the industry is that these skills, once you have them, are forever. It doesn’t matter if someone switches the power off; you can still do it because it’s in your head. We depend on computers now, but they’ll never be able to do what we do, no matter how advanced AI gets. It can’t replicate the hands-on process and the personal touch that we bring. People will treasure it, and that’s what really matters.
Helen: So, it’s about both the skills and the culture that has been built around them. The opportunities are evolving as the education system changes. The removal of funding for craft qualifications under 18 has had an impact. The Goldsmiths’ Centre’s Jewellery Foundation Programme is now being rewritten for an 18+ audience, which will affect the young people entering the apprenticeship programme. It’s getting harder to provide opportunities for young people, and I hope the Centre continues to be a beacon for quality training. As we break down more barriers, I hope we make it easier for people to access this industry, which will help create a trade that better represents society.