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Addressing one of the jewelry industry's most pressing issues, the MJSA Education Foundation and Jewelers of America will co-sponsor a roundtable discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," that will take place Saturday, May 16, in connection with The Jewelry Symposium (TJS) in Troy, Michigan.

Start with the building block of all narrative.

In a village of La Mancha, the name of which I have no desire to call to mind, there lived not long since one of those gentlemen that keep a lance in the lance-rack, an old buckler, a lean hack, and a greyhound for coursing.

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Addressing one of the jewelry industry's most pressing issues, the MJSA Education Foundation and Jewelers of America will co-sponsor a roundtable discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," that will take place Saturday, May 16, in connection with The Jewelry Symposium (TJS) in Troy, Michigan.

The session, which will run prior to the Symposium's kick-off dinner on Saturday, May 16, is a sequel to the 2025 TJS roundtable in which participants identified industry-wide difficulties in the hiring and retention of skilled labor. That meeting concluded that the industry “must evolve in how it recruits, trains, and retains talent.”

The session, which will run prior to the Symposium's kick-off dinner on Saturday, May 16, is a sequel to the 2025 TJS roundtable in which participants identified industry-wide difficulties in the hiring and retention of skilled labor. That meeting concluded that the industry “must evolve in how it recruits, trains, and retains talent.”

The 2026 roundtable will review those challenges, and industry representatives will share their successful strategies in attracting, training, and retaining qualified staff. The presenters will include:

The 2026 roundtable will review those challenges, and industry representatives will share their successful strategies in attracting, training, and retaining qualified staff. The presenters will include:

• Elisabeth Gillett, an award-winning art/jewelry teacher at Albuquerque High School in New Mexico, who created the Jewelry Uplift program to teach jewelry-making skills to her students and raise awareness of craft as a career opportunity.

• Elisabeth Gillett, an award-winning art/jewelry teacher at Albuquerque High School in New Mexico, who created the Jewelry Uplift program to teach jewelry-making skills to her students and raise awareness of craft as a career opportunity.

• Erica Meier, a faculty member and studio technician in the jewelry and metalsmithing program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, who will describe efforts to create academic-business alliances through internships.

• Erica Meier, a faculty member and studio technician in the jewelry and metalsmithing program at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, who will describe efforts to create academic-business alliances through internships.

• Linus Drogs, president of Au Enterprises in Troy, Michigan, and chair of the Jewelry Symposium board, who will describe the benefits he's found by employing interns at his facility.

• Linus Drogs, president of Au Enterprises in Troy, Michigan, and chair of the Jewelry Symposium board, who will describe the benefits he's found by employing interns at his facility.

The event will also feature the results of surveys conducted by TJS, Jewelers of America, and the MJSA Education Foundation to learn about the goals and expectations of both job seekers and employers. A discussion will follow in which all attendees can share their own staffing experiences and contribute to solutions for the future. Notes from the 2025 edition are available for download at t<a href="https://thejewelrysymposium/roundtable" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hejewelrysymposium.com/roundtable</a>.

The event will also feature the results of surveys conducted by TJS, Jewelers of America, and the MJSA Education Foundation to learn about the goals and expectations of both job seekers and employers. A discussion will follow in which all attendees can share their own staffing experiences and contribute to solutions for the future. Notes from the 2025 edition are available for download at t<a href="https://thejewelrysymposium/roundtable" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hejewelrysymposium.com/roundtable</a>.

Launched in 2023 as successor to the renowned Santa Fe Symposium, The Jewelry Symposium is one of the industry's premier annual networking and educational events, featuring presentations by the world's leading experts on jewelry manufacturing technology. The 2026 symposium will take place May 16–19 at the Detroit Marriott Troy. To learn more, go to <a href="https://thejewelrysymposium.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thejewelrysymposium.com</a>.

Launched in 2023 as successor to the renowned Santa Fe Symposium, The Jewelry Symposium is one of the industry's premier annual networking and educational events, featuring presentations by the world's leading experts on jewelry manufacturing technology. The 2026 symposium will take place May 16–19 at the Detroit Marriott Troy. To learn more, go to <a href="https://thejewelrysymposium.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thejewelrysymposium.com</a>.

MJSA Education Foundation & Jewelers of America Sponsor TJS Workforce Roundtable

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