DROP IN: HND & DfI Courses at School of Jewellery
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Just before Christmas and whilst in Birmingham we took full advantage of an invitation by Andy Howard to drop by the School of Jewellery and have a guided tour with Katy Tromans, Course Director of the HND course and Course Lead for the BA (Hons) Design for Industry course there.
We were privileged to have been given a tour of the HND course from start to finish. The technically focused HND course has been deliberately continually modified as part of a continuous improvement cycle (which is impressive enough in itself) for a course of this nature and structure, always with a focus of being industry relevant for both the students on the course, but also for employers and businesses. Modules as part of the course are specifically designed to cover certain bases in such a clever way to incorporate a tight brief, construction and manufacturing techniques both by hand and batch production, commercial understanding and cost implications within restrictive tolerances set as part of the brief. In this way, students get a grounding of the ‘traditional’ but also get to apply commercial techniques for expediency and cost efficiency as would happen in a real world scenario.
The output of the first and second year (Level 4 & 5 in new money) is rather impressive. The course takes pride in its constant touchpoints with industry, and industry support is forthcoming to support the course in a variety of ways. The vocationally focused two year training period is broken down into multiple projects which are worked on over one week, so that commercial, technically focused, basic and advanced hand skills training as well as CAD CAM and 3D printing jobs are run concurrently over five days each week over the term. Much like concurrent jobs on the bench. This approach allows much ground to be covered. The course has near on a 100% success rate in employment after graduation from the course, which is heavily supported by the HND staff and their industry networks and liaison. Students have the opportunity to progress to a top up, the continuation of an optional pathway, the well renowned Design For Industry BA Hons degree course, which unfailingly produces consistently the best work nationally at this level, due the modular and gradual build up of process and applications from that Level 4 foundation to aid understanding in a commercial 360 approach.
Taught staff include Katy Tromans, Course Director, Dauvit Alexander, Senior Lecturer, Rebecca Steiner, Senior Lecturer, Suzanne Ettrick, Lecturer and Andy Howard Senior Lecturer, with specialist teaching coming in when needed.
Being very familiar with the School of Jewellery as an alumni back in the early noughties, the impressive resources, tools and equipment still, even on a re-visit, sets the bar high – especially with the new addition of the micro setting provision within with workshop environment. These resources simply are not the ‘norm’.
As part of the visit, and a part of the visit which was the most enjoyable, was the opportunity to have some fabulous discussions and conversations with those on the course and it was impressive to learn their own expectations and career aspirations based on their current experience. This year’s cohort are a fabulous bunch of individuals, who are extremely committed, motivated and ambitious - and it is clear that the staff go out of their way to support their students in every way that they can, which adds to the whole atmosphere where there is an obvious engagement and joy in what is being learnt.
What appeared interesting to us was the very career focussed approach of the cohort, which was much different from when we were on our own degree course many years ago. We only know of four of the 2001 cohort who remain in industry. But the multitude of diverse backgrounds and previous employment history of the group clearly enrich the experience and create personal drivers and a dynamism within the workshop setting which is a complete joy to see and experience.
Thank you for the hospitality School of Jewellery!
For more information:
www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/jewellery-and-silversmithing-design-for-industry-ba-hons-2026-27
www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/jewellery-and-silversmithing-hnd-2026-27
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