Forty jewellers across the country have undergone a training programme to upgrade their skills to ensure that their creations and products meet international standards.

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

The participants would also be presented with tool kits and certificates at the end of the training to help improve and promote their businesses.

The lead facilitator, Mrs Sue Kumah Boateng, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sue Shimmers Jewellery and Art Tech Institute, said the training focused on fabrication and high-quality finishing while touching on important topics such as alloy calculation, effective use of blow torches and proper disposal of chemical waste from the workshop.

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 jewelry and that confidence will only come when their work is at par with international standards and the gold karats they sell 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.

Advocacy

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 that they would be able to meet the demand and also the standards to help them compete.

He noted that many people had a 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 making outstanding pieces in the country so we need to upgrade the skills of everyone to change the notion by some people that jewelry from the country does not match with international standards,” he added.

Some participants expressed delight at the training, saying it would not only upgrade their technical skills but also help improve how they manage their jewelry businesses.