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pprenticeship is the
time-honored pathway
to learning many crafts
and trades. In Europe,
apprenticeships are still available
to those who want to become fi ne
jewelers. While apprenticeship is still
alive and well in plumbing, carpen-
try, electrical and other contracting
trades in the U.S., opportunities here
for apprentice jewelers have largely
dried up. Most small manufacturers
and independent jewelers feel they
cannot aff ord to sponsor appren-
tices. Large manufacturers, who are
well placed to institute such pro-
grams, often don’t.Ironically, while expense is often
the reason cited for not off ering
such a program, a Canadian study
has found that businesses that off er
well thought-out and structured
apprenticeships realize a return
of $1.44 on every dollar invested.
Something to remember mention-
ing if you are lucky enough to fi nd
a jeweler or manufacturer at least
willing to consider taking you on as
an apprentice (see box "The Case
for Apprenticeship," page 68).
As the fact of apprenticeship has
dwindled, the use of the term has
drifted and been applied to other
opportunities, but these are justthat: other opportunities. Taking
a class or workshop — even with
a master craftsperson — is not an
apprenticeship. Even working for
someone in a shop is not an ap-
prenticeship. According to the U.S.
Department of Labor, “Apprentice-
ships combine paid on-the-job
training with classroom instruction
to prepare workers for highly-skilled
careers” — a defi nition more in line
with the long tradition of appren-
ticeships. At its best, the training
program is structured so that both
the master (as in “master of the
craft”) and the apprentice know
when the apprentice has acquiredLive It &
Learn It
What you might expect from an apprenticeship
in the U.S. today by Sharon Elaine Thompson
66 LAPIDARY JOURNAL JEWELRY ARTIST