UK's First T Level Jewellery Cohort Forges Ahead
24 Aug 2026
The UK's first-ever T Level Jewellery cohort is celebrating a landmark set of results, with 40% of students achieving a Distinction in the Jewellery Occupational Specialism.
The pioneering students at Aston University Goldsmiths Institute were the first in the country to undertake the Jewellery pathway of the T Level in Craft and Design, beginning a brand-new qualification with no previous cohort to follow.
Two years later, they have emerged as skilled and confident young jewellery practitioners, equipped with technical knowledge, practical workshop experience and an understanding of professional practice within the jewellery industry.
Their success marks an important milestone not only for the students and the Institute, but for specialist technical education within the UK jewellery sector.
Pioneering a new route into jewellery
Being first meant taking a leap into the unknown.
The cohort began their studies as Aston University Goldsmiths Institute itself opened its doors in 2023. Together, students and staff were embarking on something new: establishing a specialist T Level route designed to give young people rigorous technical education specifically connected to the skills and practices of the jewellery industry.
Throughout the two-year programme, students have developed their abilities in jewellery design and manufacture through extensive practical workshop experience, technical study and industry-informed projects.
Their studies have been complemented by substantial industry placements, enabling students to experience professional jewellery workplaces and understand the standards, expectations and behaviours required within the trade.
The combination of education, practical making and workplace experience has enabled students to develop not simply as learners, but as emerging jewellery professionals.
Collette Waudby, Jewellery Tutor at Aston University Goldsmiths Institute, said,
"These students took a chance on something completely new. There was no previous T Level Jewellery cohort for them to follow and no established pathway showing them what the experience would be like. They were the pioneers."
"Over two years, we have watched them grow enormously - technically, professionally and personally. They have developed real jewellery-making skills, learned how to respond to challenging briefs and experienced what it means to work within our industry."
"For 40% of the cohort to achieve a Distinction in the Jewellery Occupational Specialism is something they should be incredibly proud of. They have set the standard for the students who will follow them."
Industry experience at the heart of their education
A defining feature of the T Level has been the connection between education and industry.
Through their industry placements, students have spent significant time within professional workplaces, learning alongside people already working within the jewellery and allied trades.
These experiences have allowed students to see how the skills developed in the classroom and workshop translate into commercial practice, while building confidence, independence and an understanding of the realities of working within the sector.
For employers, the placements have provided an opportunity to engage directly with the next generation of jewellery talent and contribute to their development.
Setting the standard - and staying in the industry
As the first cohort, these students have done more than complete a qualification. They have helped establish a new specialist technical education route for jewellery in the UK.
They entered a programme without previous students to look to, embraced the challenges of being first and have now created a benchmark for the cohorts that will follow them.
Their success has also helped raise awareness of the exciting career opportunities available within the jewellery industry. Growing interest in the specialist T Level pathway means Aston University Goldsmiths Institute is now at capacity for next year's cohort - an encouraging sign for the future of jewellery education and the next generation entering the trade.
Most importantly, this is not the end of their jewellery journey.
We will shortly be able to confirm the details of their exciting next steps. For now, one thing can be said with certainty: these talented young people are staying within the jewellery industry.
Watch this space.
The UK's first T Level Jewellery students were the pioneers. They have set the standard - and now they are forging ahead.
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Source: Aston University Goldsmiths Institute