University News Last updated 17 June 2010
Luxury Jewellery brand Cartier and Richemont UK has made a substantial commitment to the School of Jewellery - based in Birmingham Institute of Art and Design at Birmingham City University – offering students work placements, as well as providing assistance with studio and equipment.
The agreement follows a recent visit to the Jewellery School by Fabien Pellegrini, Service and Logistics Director, Cartier and Richemont UK and Bob Jackson, Head of Technical Operations, Cartier and Richemont.
Professor Jack Cunningham, head of the School of Jewellery, said: "This is an important commitment and further significantly deepens the ongoing relationship between Cartier and Richemont UK and our Birmingham School of Jewellery.
"We are delighted to be working with such a prestigious luxury brand recognised internationally for quality, styling and aesthetics in design and performance and respected as a world leader in its sector. We are focussed on delivering quality courses for our students that lead to real employment opportunities and this partnership is a key example of our core beliefs in top quality design and employability."
Fabien Pellegrini, Director, Cartier UK, said, "We have been recruiting students who have completed the Horology Course at the Birmingham School of Jewellery for years and as a result we are delighted to be able to assist the Horology Course with their studio and equipment, and to provide assistance with work placements for students to get 'real life on the job work experience'. Our focus is on ensuring the long-term quality and performance of our products and our sector.
"We are very much looking forward to working more closely and productively with Professor Cunningham and Jeremy Hobbins who heads up this important Horology Course at the Birmingham School of Jewellery."
The Birmingham Institute of Art & Design (BIAD) hosts the largest School of Jewellery in Europe, housed in the heart of the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, which in turn is responsible for 40% of the UK's jewellery output.
The Birmingham School of Jewellery is home to a specialised Horology course which dates back to the turn of the previous Century.
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Photo-caption: (l-r) Jack Cunningham, Head of the School of Jewellery, Jeremy Hobbins, Course Director Horology, Bob Jackson, Head of Technical Operations, Cartier and Richemont UK, Fabien Pellegrini, Service and Logistics Director, Cartier and Richemont UK.
Issued by Birmingham City University Media Relations Office.
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