NIACE craft "tool kit" project

The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education NIACE want to know how you got into the crafts, the results will be published on their website with links back to your website so worth 5 minutes to answer a few questions.

Details of NIACE craft "tool kit" from Jan Lasnon

"Rather than me phoning individuals and (as is always the way) choosing the most inconvenient time, I’m hoping that you will contact me – either by phone or email – at a time that suits you.
The information I need from as many craft practitioners as possible is:
Name:
Location:  (Where you are based)
Discipline:  (General description of your craft)
How long you have been working as a craft practitioner:
Please describe briefly how you learned your craft:
Detail any training courses you have attended (these can be accredited or non-accredited, from half-day workshops through to degree courses)
Advise any courses which you would like to have access to (include any that may have been discontinued)
State how/where your work is sold: (ie website, galleries, etc).  Please include here your website details if you have one so that people can look at what you do.
If applicable add alternative career information (this may be a former career or paid work you currently do to prop up your income)
You can either email the information through to me at jan@craftanddesign.net (in which case please also give me a contact number in case I need to clarify anything) or just email with the best time to call and a number you can be reached on and I’ll give you a call.
This is the most major project that’s taken in place in crafts for decades so I really hope that you can spare five or ten minutes to be part of it.
Thanks to everyone for your help,
Jan"

 and a follow up note from Jan explaining how this relates to the Mapping Survey which HCA have been working on with John Hayes's team and CCSkills.

 

"The exciting announcement Creative & Cultural Skills have commissioned research agency TBR to map the heritage crafts sector seems to have caused a little confusion as to how that impacts or sits with the work I’m doing with NIACE so I thought I’d explain how it all fits together.
When Skills Minister John Hayes first featured in craft&design magazine he explained that he was looking at how to address training the next generation of craftspeople.
The first issue recognised by the Minister was the need to harness the expertise and knowledge of the sector so he set up a BIS Craft Skills Advisory Board which has already been holding meetings.
The Minister pledged to undertake a national mapping exercise for heritage craft skills sector, working with a range of sector bodies.
John Hayes has also invited NIACE to produce a map of apprenticeship frameworks that support the sector and to look at opportunities for future growth.  NIACE is also developing a tool kit – this is what I”m working on specifically.
The toolkit is basically a micro website which can be accessed by anyone but in particular people hoping to pursue a career in craft.  I am collecting case studies from people currently working in the industry which details their chosen discipline and how they got there.
These human stories will be really helpful and, in some cases, inspirational.  And, as we are now adding photos, they may also generate new business.
Some of the people that have contacted me also run their own workshops.  There is a separate part of the toolkit dedicated to courses, both through educational institutions as well as independently run.  I’m preparing a list of these as I go and will ensure that any courses advised to me will also be included in the toolkit.
In short then, the mapping exercise will show where heritage craft is at the moment.  The toolkit will be preparing craft for the future.
I have had a great response so far – thank you to all those who have contacted me.  However, I would still love to hear from more of you please.  And don’t forget, if you are running short courses and workshops, include them in the information you send me or, if you haven’t got time to write it, just email me with a convenient time to call you and I’ll write it for you.
This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a craft-focused project that is the biggest of its kind and it costs you nothing to get involved.  Just a few minutes of your time.
I urge you not to miss out."