The UK Jewellery, Silverware and Allied Crafts industry has welcomed the appointment of Lisa Nandy MP and Sir Chris Bryant MP as new Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister of State (DCMS), respectively.
In letters to both ministers, the industry-wide group, which includes a representative from the Company of Master Jewellers, expressed its desire to continue open communications with the government to help drive the jewellery, silverware and allied trades forward.
In February 2024, then shadow minister Sir Chris Bryant approached the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) to host an industry-wide roundtable to better understand the industry’s challenges, needs and opportunities. 25 individuals representing businesses and institutions throughout the breadth of the trade came together to outline the state of the industry and, in collaboration, its future direction.
The industry group is keen to keep Sir Chris Bryant and the DCMS department up to speed on the progress and ongoing work.
NAJ chief executive Ben Massey said: “As a group, we welcome Lisa Nandy MP and Sir Chris Bryant MP. We are keen to continue the open dialogue and look forward to continuing a direct liaison. All roundtable participants have expressed their desire for progress through collaboration and we are now starting to look at some of the projects in greater detail. There are challenges that not only affect our industry but many others, too. For these issues, such as the economy and skills, we want to make sure our collective voice is heard by government with clarity and enthusiasm.”
During the most recent roundtable meeting in June, the group progressed across the four facets identified initially during the first gathering – Economics, People, Process and Sector Specific Issues.
Progress included agreeing on the development of a state-of-trade indicator tool for the industry to access; preparing an industry report that illustrates the reach, impact, and value-added the industry contributes; carrying out a strategic mapping exercise of skills gaps and building a careers website to attract new talent into the industry.
To ensure the roundtable is as representative as possible, the group is asking for bodies and organisations not currently represented to get involved by emailing membership@naj.co.uk.
