CMJ, AnchorCert Group offer training taster day to retail members
October 2017 – The Company of Master Jewellers (CMJ) and AnchorCert Training Academy trialled an exclusive training taster day at the Assay Office Birmingham to help support CMJ retail members with staff development.
Sam Glew, CMJ’s Membership Liaison Manager, and Marion Wilson, Director at AnchorCert Academy, AnchorCert Group, worked together to create a day that would benefit CMJ Retail Members and give a snapshot of the kind of courses and training that AnchorCert Academy can provide to staff within the jewellery industry.
The day included;
• A brief overview of the jewellery industry, precious metals, trends.
• A session on loose gemstones, with guidance from an expert tutor, aimed at helping delegates gain more confidence in discussing gemstone characteristics and qualities with customers.
• A detailed background of current hallmarking requirements, followed by a comprehensive tour of the Assay Office operation and hallmarking process. Delegates tested their hand marking skills to see how they measure up to the hallmarking experts!Marion Wilson, Director at AnchorCert Academy, said of the day, “It was a pleasure to have our enthusiastic CMJ delegates with us today. They all really engaged with the experience and took away a broader understanding of hallmarking and its place in our ever changing industry.
“Using gemmological equipment was a new experience for some of them. The day brought theory to life and consolidated their existing knowledge to boost confidence and support their sales skills.”
The AnchorCert Academy is an approved supplier to CMJ and offered the training course at a preferential day rate for CMJ retail members.
Joanne Maddison from Anderson’s of Warwick had this to say of the taster day, “It was a very useful day! I really enjoyed the hands on workshops which help back up what I learnt in Jet Courses 1 and 2.“I’d highly recommend the day to the rest of the staff at Andersons and the trade in general.”
“At CMJ we are constantly trying to develop the support we can offer to our retail members and work with our approved suppliers to create beneficial programmes and workshops,” Sam Glew said.
“It was good to work with the Assay Office on this, especially Kelly Fisher the Training and Events Co-ordinator. It was good to meet sales staff from a variety of our CMJ members who work on the retail shop floor on a daily basis.
“It’s definitely something we’d like to continue working with AnchorCert Academy on.”
CMJ Retail Members who attended the course were; Heart of Gold of Brentwood, D C Leake of Nuneaton, David Mellor Family Jewellers of Andover, Eastleigh and Southampton, and Andersons Jewellers of Warwick.