Organised by the Jewellers Association of Ghana (JAG) with funding from the Ghana Skills Development Fund (GSDF), the five-day training programme involved theory and practical sessions, as well as a field trip to the Precious Mineral Marketing Company (PMMC).

Each of the participants received a certificate and tool kits at the end of the training to help improve their businesses.

Training

The Lead Facilitator, Sue Kumah Boateng, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sue Shimmers Jewellery and Art Technical Institute, said the training focused on the technical and business aspect of jewellery, with emphasis on the technical details of the combination and calculation of materials to make the perfect jewellery, finishing, pricing, marketing, staffing and other related business management skills in jewellery.

She said the training would help jewellers elevate their skills and businesses to meet international trends and standards and help improve their competitive edge in the industry, both locally and internationally.

“Jewellers in Ghana must have confidence to create the best jewels and that confidence will only come when their work is at par with international standards and they are using the right calculations to mix their materials and are not in doubt,” she said.

The training, she added, was also geared towards harmonising standards in the industry with the aim of ultimate verification and certification by the PMMC.

The President of JAG, Mr Jonathan Ababio, said the association had been advocating for the government to reserve part of the gold produced in the country for the local jewellery industry to help its growth.

With the advocacy still in force, he said, it was important for the association to train its members so they would be able to meet the demand and also the standards to help them to compete.

He noted that many people had the wrong perception that jewels produced by indigenes in the country were of poor quality and, therefore, the association was on a quest to disabuse that notion.

“There are many people who are doing excellent jewellery in the country so we need to upgrade the skills of everyone to change the notion by some people that jewellery from the country does not match with international standards,” he added.

Some of the participants expressed delight with the training, saying it would not only upgrade their technical skills but also help improve how they managed their jewellery business.