How Jewellery Training Solutions (JTS) Works
What is JTS
JTS is a unique online jewellery school that has a fully tested and successful training program for serious students & professionals.
The first series of courses was created by award winning master jeweller Peter Keep in 2007 to help train jewellery apprentices in remote areas of Western Australia who could not attend face to face classes. It was soon apparent that the concept of structured online training worked, and Peter's style of teaching proved to be highly successful. So, over the years more training programs were developed aimed towards beginners wanting to learn authentic trade skills as well as qualified professionals who want to learn how to set gemstones. In 2014 JTS opened it's online doors to the world and we now have over 8000 signed up users of our courses.
Our passion is to help students start a new hobby or enter a career in jewellery making as well as offer the jewellery industry relevant professional development courses.
With our unique structured training we can cater for any skill level from fresh beginner to professional jeweller.
There are over 800 courses (some with multiple videos and handouts) categorised into four levels of training.
Depending on your current skills and where you want to go, check the options.
What Makes Our Courses Unique
I am a master jeweller and a qualified teacher.
In my experience Jewellery students are generally visual learners. JTS understands this so the video projects & demonstrations are set up as a simulated apprentice teacher relationship with clear instructions of the manufacture process and techniques.
The focus is on the project and the techniques to create the piece, not on the teacher.
Some projects come with important formulas and theory notes related to the subject.
When you click on the VIEW COURSE button you will then be linked to the course landing page with the lesson details. There will be a required material list if applicable. This page will also show you the payment options as well as any previous student reviews.
Members & subscribers will be invited to the JTS student group to enjoy Facebook interaction with other students & teachers just like a real jewellery school. JTS students from around the world post progress shots or pictures of their finished work ask advice and share learning experiences. There are also lots of tips, tricks, advice and exclusive previews & videos.
The lessons are complete. That means, you don't have to wait until the next instalment to see the end result. All the information you need is included and in some cases information handouts can be found in the curriculum.
Safety
The extensive JTS video library is hosted by Thinkific.
The Thinkific student platform is used & trusted by thousands of businesses schools & universities worldwide because it is renowned for its safe reliable and secure cloud hosting. It is PCI compliant and SSL enabled.
Information from payment cards is stored by the relevant provider – PayPal & Stripe.
We do not store your card details. You are in safe hands.
The course navigation is easy. Our clear curriculum forward navigation supports student progress through individual chapters and lessons.
Students resume learning exactly where they left off, including mid-video, on their mobile, tablet, laptop or any device.
Materials & Equipment
A well-equipped jewellery workshop is required for advanced training. However, you will be amazed at what you can achieve with a limited workshop.
On the course landing page you will find information about the materials and tools required for the class. During the video lesson you will be given more detailed information on the tools consumables and equipment required to complete the project.
All jewellery components are hand made using traditional techniques handed down from Master Jeweller to apprentice for centuries.
Cost & Access
You have a choice of how you can access the JTS courses. You can buy individual lessons. Prices are marked on the course cards in Australian dollars. There is no expiry date set, so you can keep returning to them.
Monthly subscriptions are available for all levels. No contract. Cancel anytime.
You can also purchase an annual Full membership. This gives you access to all JTS levels for just $750 AUD (Subsequent annual access $250)
We have also invited some independent experts to share their skills. These extra courses are for purchase only and not included with memberships or subscriptions.
JTS also supplies student setting packs and setting blanks & stones for you to practice your stone setting techniques. These products can be found on the ‘JTS Shop’ page.
New lessons are continually being created and are added to your following month subscription. Members will have immediate access.
You can check out the latest lessons on the ‘What’s New’ page.
You can watch as many times as you like during the term of your subscription or membership.
It is not permissible to copy or share JTS copyright videos. JTS has a right to cancel a student membership if multi device use is flagged.
Payments & Billing
All prices are in Australian dollars. So check the conversion to your currency; https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=AUD
There is no fixed term for subscriptions.
By default, JTS is setup to use Stripe for payments. Stripe is the easiest way to accept credit cards online and is seamless for the purchaser.
When checking out, you will have the choice of using PayPal, or credit card.
Note: subscription payments are only available using Stripe, in order to accommodate recurring credit card billing.
Students have full control of the JTS account and can manage billing information as well as cancel the subscription directly from the Billing tab of the Student Account page. Or we can act on your instructions.
You are never dealing with a robot your teacher is here to help in any way, so if you want us to handle the cancellation you can just request via email.
Training Rewards
JST members and advanced level subscribers can claim training stage level merit certificates for recognition of achievement.
Our online training meets Australian industry standards and is recognised by the Jewellery Industry Council. Successful JTS students can submit their JTS training evidence to Registered Training Organisation MinRes Training Institute for consideration towards a trade qualification. Conditions apply.
MinRes is an independent RTO not affiliated or partnered with JTS. We only provides the video training for the practical units that comply with the qualification ‘ MEM30619 Certificate III in Jewellery Manufacture’ Contact MinRes to access the list of ‘Units of Competency’ For more information contact; https://www.minres.com.au/
The Advanced Course is for serious students looking to start a career as a jeweller. It is based on authentic apprenticeship training developed over many years by JTS founder Peter Keep. There are ten easy to follow levels that will help you to plan and systematically work through your skill development. This training is akin to a boot camp, so be prepared for very intense but rewarding training. The projects are designed to introduce new techniques and knowledge that are staged in manageable bundles. This pathway is based on many years’ experiences teaching and qualifying trade jewellers and apprentices. There is a meaningful method to the plan as many online students have found since we started. The certificate applications can be found in the course curriculum. They identify important points to self-assess for each training project. When you have completed and self-assessed at least two projects from the level you are working through, email photographs to me (Top plan & side elevations if possible) Your work will be assessed and a stage level certificate relating to the project can then be issued. Only send the project applications when you have completed the stage you are working on. As a self-assessing student you should strive to improve and work on your weaknesses, which could mean working through the same level or repeating some projects until you are satisfied with your improvements and ready to move forwards. It is not essential to complete all the listed projects in the Ten Stage Training Program as some projects share the same skills and outcomes. However, it is recommended that at least two projects from each stage should be completed to a competent level to ensure your jewellery making experience is broad and extensive.
There is no obligation to participate in the training program, you may prefer to pick and choose your own pathway and go at your own pace. So, no pressure.
I am always here to help if you need it.
Cheers Peter
Click here for a video guided tour; https://www.jewellerytrainingsolutions.com.au/courses/using-the-jts-website
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes. But don’t throw yourself in at the deep end. Start with the Free lessons or Beginner Level. Soham & myself will guide you through basic skills and help build them up.
When you feel that you are ready, try out the Advanced courses or the to see if commercial jewellery technical training is for you.
Yes. However there are skill sets that are essential to the learner that should not be over looked.
For experienced jewellers who are new to setting, I recommend that you start with claw setting before advancing to multi stone setting; you will then have a better understanding.
The Thinkific student platform is PCI compliant; this safeguard ensures that all credit card details are handled in a secure environment.
The site is also SSL enabled so all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.
You can apply for certificates if you are working through the apprentice program. The JTS Ten Stage Training Plan is recognised and endorsed by the Jewellery Training Council and although we don’t offer a qualification the certificates could be used as evidence of competence towards a qualification with a third party RTO. Contact us for more information
You can drop in and out of subscriptions whenever you like.
Students are able to manage their billing information directly from the Billing tab of the Student Account page.
To get there, click on your name or picture in the top right of the video library Thinkific site, select My Account, and then Billing on the next page.
From the Billing tab, students can see and remove their saved credit cards.
Students can also review and cancel any of their active subscriptions to your courses. Hitting 'Remove' for a subscription will automatically cancel the recurring monthly payments, and will mean that you automatically lose access to the course content at the end of their current billing period; saving you the hassle of contacting JTS to do it for you.
The Beginner Level Skills is packed full of ideas techniques and easy to make products that have commercial value. Soham has taught thousands of students online as well as face to face. His jewellery knowledge is extremely broad whereas my expertise is in high skilled jewellery making. We both have so many ideas we want to run with, we have committed to introduce at least one new project per week each.
My goal is to deliver jewellery training to anyone who is passionate no matter what skills they have.
Not straight away. Some lessons in Beginner only require a very basic set up, so the curious learners not ready to commit financially can undertake lessons. You will find a recommended tool list on the course landing page.
I have tried to alternate methods of manufacture using basic tools as well as specialised tools. I also make or modify tools for certain tasks.
The setting demonstrations are mostly performed using hand tools and hand pushed gravers rather than using a pneumatic hand piece. I use a 5x optivisor for most tasks except micro setting (7x or 10x required).
You can slowly build up your tool collection as you go. Don’t forget to check out the recommended tool list in the free downloads.
When you watch a video you need to click the Next button on every lesson? This is how we track the completion of each lesson. If you are going through the courses using the navigation menu on the left, unfortunately, it won't be recorded as complete.
No sorry. The movie files are encrypted so they can't be downloaded. They can be viewed on most smart devices. Please check this out before you enrol in a course. Or if you find problems please let me know.
Part of running a business online means supporting your customers. JTS use the services of Thinkific to host the course materials. They offer world-class support and expertise to help keep things running smoothly. However, there may be a time when you need technical help.
If you cannot access a video or the speed and quality is poor, the problem can usually be resolved by trying the following.
First refresh your cache. Sometimes browser caching causes problems.
http://www.refreshyourcache.com/en/home/
Try opening in a private window of your browser of choice (e.g. Chrome's Incognito Mode, or Firefox's Private Window). This opens a fresh browser window without any extensions or settings blocking content.
Try on a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, IE, Opera, etc). Sometimes the installation of their browser may be damaged. If it works on every browser but one, tell them to reinstall that browser. If the issue persists after reinstalling, send an email to us as it may be an issue only we can fix!
Try on a different device or computer (mobile phone, tablet, PC/Mac laptop/desktop, etc.). Sometimes a certain device has trouble with a content type. This is rare but could be a problem.
If you are still having issues, just reach out, I am always on hand to help, and I have a dedicated support team at Thinkific ready to help.
Cheers Peter