Engraving guns or jewlery is facinating and many people like to learn how to engrave.
But how can someone get started or advance in the art of engraving?
My post likes to shed some light on the aprenticeship system in Germany and its aplicability in the US.
I sucessfully finished a 3.5 year tool and diemaker aprenticeship and like to share my experience with you. In germany you start your aprenticeship usually when you are very young and after leaving school. With 16 you still live with your parents and you made the equivalent to 150-175 $ per month (1980)
In the US people change there profession sometimes when they are 30, 40 or 50. With 40 and responsibility you can not feed a family form an aprentice salery.
There is a training curiculum which covers theory and practice. Once a week you go to the Berufsschule (Commercial college) the rest you spent in the facory. This combination of theory and real world work gives the aprenticeship its unique advantage. This wouldent be possible in the US because we do not have a nation wide Engravers Curiculum. In the 3.5 years the aprentice spents around 6600 hours in the trade learning and practicing. Compare this to a one week cours with maybe 40 hours.
It is not just seeing how it is done it is practicing for a paying custumer who acepts your product.
This repitition over hunderes of units gives the aprentice the comparitive advantage.
A US aplicable possibility could be what is used in aviation training. In FAR 141 Flight Academy's you use blended learning. This is utilising computer, online learning aids and flight instructors parallel. The applicant preperes with the use of a computer or internet, can finish his tests on the internet and a flight instructor flys with him and answers his questions and gives him a feedback.
For engraving this could mean a candidat could attend courses, watch DVDs, attend Converences and have a Master engraver as Mentor to get the feedback and tips for the dayly work.
Have a wonderfull day
Bernie
But how can someone get started or advance in the art of engraving?
My post likes to shed some light on the aprenticeship system in Germany and its aplicability in the US.
I sucessfully finished a 3.5 year tool and diemaker aprenticeship and like to share my experience with you. In germany you start your aprenticeship usually when you are very young and after leaving school. With 16 you still live with your parents and you made the equivalent to 150-175 $ per month (1980)
In the US people change there profession sometimes when they are 30, 40 or 50. With 40 and responsibility you can not feed a family form an aprentice salery.
There is a training curiculum which covers theory and practice. Once a week you go to the Berufsschule (Commercial college) the rest you spent in the facory. This combination of theory and real world work gives the aprenticeship its unique advantage. This wouldent be possible in the US because we do not have a nation wide Engravers Curiculum. In the 3.5 years the aprentice spents around 6600 hours in the trade learning and practicing. Compare this to a one week cours with maybe 40 hours.
It is not just seeing how it is done it is practicing for a paying custumer who acepts your product.
This repitition over hunderes of units gives the aprentice the comparitive advantage.
A US aplicable possibility could be what is used in aviation training. In FAR 141 Flight Academy's you use blended learning. This is utilising computer, online learning aids and flight instructors parallel. The applicant preperes with the use of a computer or internet, can finish his tests on the internet and a flight instructor flys with him and answers his questions and gives him a feedback.
For engraving this could mean a candidat could attend courses, watch DVDs, attend Converences and have a Master engraver as Mentor to get the feedback and tips for the dayly work.
Have a wonderfull day
Bernie
