Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Jeweler brings Midwest to the Southwest
    Tara Fine Jewelry: Atlanta’s not-so-secret, best-kept secret
    Finding the Big Ones; Zambian Trophies for the Ages
    The Golden Girls of Gemstones
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    Education, networking, hospitality featured at Spring Atlanta Jewelry Show
    Designer Brenda Smith announces new Black ’n Gold ’n Diamonds Collection
    JBT-logo-cover
    Richard Katz, Richline Group appointed Chairman of The Jewelers Board of Trade®
    Alan Revere
    AJDC elects Alan Revere as President
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    Is the customer always right?
    Successful Custom: Stressing the bench jeweler
    The Story Behind the Stone: Diamonds on Pins and Needles
    Jewelry Marketing Survival Guide
    The Story Behind the Stone: Out of the Blue
    What’s Hot Now!: Latest Designer Trends 2023
    A Winning Strategy: How SEO and buying intent can skyrocket your sales
    business people shaking hands
    Networking for small business owners
    Is the customer always right?
    Successful Custom: A Clean Disaster
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Jeweler brings Midwest to the Southwest
    Tara Fine Jewelry: Atlanta’s not-so-secret, best-kept secret
    Finding the Big Ones; Zambian Trophies for the Ages
    The Golden Girls of Gemstones
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    Education, networking, hospitality featured at Spring Atlanta Jewelry Show
    Designer Brenda Smith announces new Black ’n Gold ’n Diamonds Collection
    JBT-logo-cover
    Richard Katz, Richline Group appointed Chairman of The Jewelers Board of Trade®
    Alan Revere
    AJDC elects Alan Revere as President
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    Is the customer always right?
    Successful Custom: Stressing the bench jeweler
    The Story Behind the Stone: Diamonds on Pins and Needles
    Jewelry Marketing Survival Guide
    The Story Behind the Stone: Out of the Blue
    What’s Hot Now!: Latest Designer Trends 2023
    A Winning Strategy: How SEO and buying intent can skyrocket your sales
    business people shaking hands
    Networking for small business owners
    Is the customer always right?
    Successful Custom: A Clean Disaster
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columnists

24 Karat Corner: Who pays for training?

Howard Kelrick by Howard Kelrick
March 1, 2015
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Regular readers of this column know that The 24 Karat Club is a strong proponent of continuing education for employees, up-dating one’s skills, and working towards advanced certifications. And yet, I am sympathetic to the two main reasons why more people don’t do it. One, the very high cost of taking classes and attending seminars. And, two, the significant amount of time away from family and the job that is required. The third reason, however, “I’ve been doing this for twenty years. At this point, what could I possibly learn?” doesn’t fly with me at all!

So, I am always a bit surprised when I do encounter someone with the opposing point of view. My friend Joel just hired someone to help out with the book-keeping at his up-scale jewelry store. His mother had been doing it for years, but she’s beginning to slow down, and she wasn’t comfortable with all the newest software. But the woman he hired knew nothing about the jewelry industry, and he was beginning to think that was a problem.

“Not a problem at all,” I told him. “There are plenty of ‘introduction to the jewelry business’ courses available on-line and for home study.”

“Who is going to pay for that?” he asked.

“You are!” I said.

“Well, what happens if after I pay for these courses, she leaves?” Joel countered.

I answered with a question, “What happens if she doesn’t take any courses, and stays?”

Apparently my friend Joel has yet to learn that in today’s environment, employees are not expenses to be managed or to be viewed as an area where costs need to be maintained, but rather as assets to be invested in for future growth. We need to compare the “rate of return” on education versus the alternative of doing nothing. Today’s best companies (and not just those in the jewelry industry) are always looking to train, up-grade employee skills, and provide educational opportunities for their team.

To encourage those in our industry to continue their education, improve their technical skills, or develop new professional skills, the 24 Karat Club offers a variety of scholarships to make classes more affordable. If you, or someone you work with would benefit from a 24 Karat Club scholarship, we suggest you contact one of our members to learn more about the nomination process. We especially invite store-owners to think about their staffs, and how an investment in education would benefit everyone.

As Mark Twain said, “Always do right. This will gratify some people, and astonish the rest.” Let’s astonish some people with a scholarship to improve their skills, their lives, and the lives of the people who count on them.


Howard Kelrick is President of Finger Mate and a board member of The 24 Karat Club, SEUS. Finger Mate manufactures and installs expandable ring shanks and sells to retail jewelers throughout North America. Contact Howard at 954-458-2700 or e-mail Howard@FingerMate.com.

 

Howard Kelrick

Howard Kelrick

Howard Kelrick is President of Finger Mate and a  board member of The 24 Karat Club, SEUS.  Finger Mate manufactures and installs expandable ring shanks and sells to retail jewelers throughout North America. Contact Howard at 954-458-2700 or e-mail Howard@FingerMate.com.

Related Posts

Is the customer always right?

Successful Custom: Stressing the bench jeweler

March 27, 2023

The Story Behind the Stone: Diamonds on Pins and Needles

March 20, 2023

Jewelry Marketing Survival Guide

March 15, 2023

The Story Behind the Stone: Out of the Blue

March 15, 2023

Latest News

Industry Events

Education, networking, hospitality featured at Spring Atlanta Jewelry Show

March 27, 2023
Columnists

Successful Custom: Stressing the bench jeweler

March 27, 2023
What's New

Designer Brenda Smith announces new Black ’n Gold ’n Diamonds Collection

March 27, 2023

Other News

Richard Katz, Richline Group appointed Chairman of The Jewelers Board of Trade®

AJDC elects Alan Revere as President

Kingswood Company President and CEO Kristie Nicolosi inducted into Private Label Industry Hall of Fame

Hardrock Summit to return to Denver in September 2023

Iconic Jewelry Firms is theme of ASJRA’s 18th annual Conference

DMIA members meet-and-greet and hear updates from GIA, NDC

Southern Jewelry News

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.

Additional Information

  • About
  • 2023 Jewelry Trade Shows & Events
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter Signup

Get Social with Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Sponsored Content
  • Latest News
    • What’s New
    • Industry Events
    • Tradeshow News
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Furry Friends
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.