My dear Orchid readers!
After a span of about 11 years, I threw in the towel of one of the
largest jewellery community colleges. Why you might ask?
They haven’t been the leader of teaching the skills of the jewellery
trade. They let two teachers drop out of teaching Cad-Cam. They
haven’t even advertised in two of our trade magazines that goes out
every month, coast to coast.
I haven’t seen them either telling Orchid folks what they are
teaching. In short, they are not leaders anymore! Am I hurt? Not at
all, but I feel so bad for those students who keep seeing classes
cancel. Just how are they going to learn a skill that is so
definitely needed in our trade. They have three classrooms sitting
derelict for those wanting to learn setting.
“Advertise, and get your name out”, was my battle cry for many
years…“No, it’s too much money, we can’t afford it!” - “We have
our own marketing departments.” School marketing departments don’t
pay your bills, students revenue does. I just gave up!
“Georgian College” in Barrie, Ontario, Canada on the other hand are
so further ahead, they even take their jewellery class students to
Tuscon every year, nice eh?
I taught there for two sessions and saw that these students are
"professionals in the making". It was an honour just to see how they
are using their new setting skills.
I still do private, training sessions, if asked to…
Gerry!