'Special' artisans in high demand

While the demand for metals including gold and silver are soaring, the demand for skilled artisans   to create intricate designs for ornaments such as necklaces, earrings, bangles and finger rings is also on the rise. With skilled artisans being hard to find, jewellers are increasingly on the look out for specially abled students, who have a diploma in jewellery design.

Filling this void is the JSS Polytechnic for the Differently Abled (JSSPDA), started way back in 2001-02, which offers offers a three-year course in Diploma in Jewellery Design and Technology to specially abled students.

While mentioning that the more than 70 per cent of the students entering the course are hearing impaired, Head of the Department, Jewellery and Design and Technology, JSSPDA, Shivakumar S S said that it works as an advantage to them (students).

“Students who are hearing impaired are most sought after, because jewellery firms have realised that once they are given a task, they are not at all diverted. People with complete hearing abilities are normally distracted by the sound or the listening to the talk of others. But for a hearing impaired, there is no distraction when he is given a design task,” says Shivakumar.

Along with jewellery techniques taught, if students learn jewellery designing software such as ‘Rhinocerous’ gives an edge over their competitors. He said that pay packages can go up to ` 15,000 per month, if students get a hang of this software.

Speaking to City Herald, JSSPDA Principal Nanjundaswamy said that there is a huge demand for students pursuing jewellery design course in the private sector. However, he bemoaned that there is lack of awareness among people about the importance of the course.

“People know only to wear gold, but they don’t understand the labour  behind making it,” he quips. With the present batch having 12 students, eight have already been hired by a private firm. The remaining four are being sought after by atleast three firms. He said that the course offers a modern approach for ancient Indian jewellery manufacturing techniques. Also it enables students to use modern technology such as graphics, CAD, photography, three dimensional forms, free hand and technical drawings.

Jewellery manufacturing techniques such as metallurgy, alloying, gold smithing techniques, stone setting, investment casting, jewellery finishing, gold refining and assaying, gemmology, scrap recovery, workshop management and jewellery marketing are included in the curriculum.

Various jewellers such as Tanishq, Chemmanur Jewellers, Gitanjali, Reliance, Suraj Diamonds and Jewellery, Ganjam Nagappa and Sons, Vouge Institute of Fashion, VIS Park, CKC and Sons, VNM and Sons, RKR Gold Pvt ltd, Peakok, Swarnamandir, Senham Jewels are among the regular recruiters for skilled artisans at JSSPDA.

Shivakumar said that pay packages are placed between the range of  ` 7,000 and  ` 9,000. Most companies give a probationary period of one year after they recruit the students. Once they complete the probation, they are placed at the supervisor-level.
Another advantage of the course is that it gives a more practical oriented exposure to students. Also students have to make five products - including a necklace, bangle, earring, finger ring and a tilak - using silver in the final semester of their course. This project helps private firms identify the best students, says Shivakumar.

Shivakumar proudly says that a student of the institute, who designed one of the best designs, is now earning more than Rs one lakh per month at a private firm in Dubai.
He said that JSSPDA was among the first institutes to be started in South India to promote jewellery design.

Recently, it was awarded the ‘The Best Gems and Jewellery Education Institute in Karnataka’ at the South India Jewellery Show.  The award was bestowed to the institute for its efforts in innovation, leadership and technical excellence in jewellery design and technology training.