In its latest career and technical education offering, Baldwin Union Free School District in New York launched a Future Jewelers Academy in January to prepare students for careers in the jewelry industry.
Students in the Baldwin High School@Shubert program are learning about all aspects of the jewelry-making business, from benchwork and design to marketing and sales, and will be certified upon completion. There are currently 12 students in the program, although enrollment for the next year looks like it might double, said Superintendent Shari Camhi.
Baldwin High School@Shubert is a nontraditional high school offering academic and CTE credits. Students have access to small class sizes and rooms equipped specifically for CTE courses and work-based learning opportunities.
“When most people are looking at career exploration, it's through reading. It's through visitors,” said Camhi. “We actually have our kids deeply involved in those fields.”
The Future Jewelers Academy aims to ensure a percentage of students receive scholarships and post-graduation support. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite a slight decline in employment outlook, about 5,400 openings for jewelers and precious stone and metal workers are projected each year, on average, over the next decade.
Support for post-secondary success
High School and CTE classes provide valuable career exploration and preparation experiences for students that may carry them into postsecondary education, the workforce or an apprenticeship program, said Alisha Hyslop, chief policy, research and content officer for the Association for Career and Technical Education.
According to Hyslop, a successful CTE program must be connected to business and industry needs.
“We want to make sure that we're preparing students for jobs and career pathways that are actually available in the economy, and that the skills that the programs are preparing students with are appropriate for those jobs,” Hyslop said.
She added that some ways to achieve this include partnering with business and industry professionals and using labor market data in alignment with skill needs. The Future Jewelers Academy achieves this through its partnership with the Black In Jewelry Coalition and the Natural Diamond Council.
It is also essential for CTE courses to start by teaching a curriculum that’s as broad as possible and ensuring it includes all aspects of industry, Hyslop said. She noted that the Future Jewelers Academy does a good job of this by not just teaching about jewelry making but incorporating the marketing and manufacturing aspects, as well.
“The more options you can provide, the more different pathways that might be appealing or appropriate for the goals of different students, the more successful programs can be,” Hyslop said.
Hyslop said CTE has many economic benefits for participants, such as students earning increased salaries once they get a job and saving money on postsecondary education through dual enrollment.
However, another less measurable benefit to courses like the one at Baldwin High School@Shubert is that it provides students with a space to form community and build relationships — something Hyslop said can be a potential solution to absenteeism. She said that because of the consistency over the years, CTE teachers become that “caring adult at school,” which research shows is critical for students.
Attendance is one of the markers of success for the Future Jewelers Academy, said Camhi, adding that students have been vocal about their positive experiences with the program and have been showing up to every class.
Hyslop emphasized that the success of a CTE course depends on where it’s being established. A program like the Future Jewelers Academy works despite being a bit more niche than other CTE programs like cybersecurity or health, she said, because there is a demand for that market in New York.
“The thing about CTE, which highlights the diversity, is that you can't necessarily take a program that's successful in one community and plop it down in another community halfway across the country,” Hyslop said.
However, she added that the structure and models of those programs — like having business partnerships, hands-on learning and an infusion of creativity — can be replicated regardless of what the specific needs are in that community.
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