Thomas's
Staff
Page
- Geoff Thomas FGA DGA PJ Valuer's Diploma. Partner. Buyer Admin, IT. Interests gem sources, participant in the GemA Foray to Brazil 2005, Madagascar 2006. Private visit to Benitoite Mines Diablo Mountains, California 2007. [Needs new experiences!]
- Judy Thomas BA FGA Partner. Everybody's friend as she pays the wages!
- Mrs Louise Knowles RJ Dip, awarded with distinction, is our display supremo. A runner up in the National Final of the Access Shop Assistant of the Year competition in 1989, she has a distinction in her Retail Jewellers examinations, she was a former manager who stood down to have her children. She now distinguishes us with her window displays. Louise trained at Hearts On Fire University in Las Vegas 2005. Her son Ayrton is on his way to becoming a quad bike superstar.
- Mrs Hannah Aldham PJ Dip dist. Sales. Hannah is most welcome back following the birth of her second child.
- Hidden in the offices each morning is our bonnie repairs clerk, Mrs Pauline Sadler, is our Assistant Manager Administration, Pauline liaises with our many jobbers and repair firms as well as with our customers, she now our supplier accounts favourite too as she pays the bills.
- Jane Thomas RJ Dip. is a full time mother to four of our six grandchildren. Jane has just successfully completed the first year of the Gemmological Association Studies and can be seen occasionally in the shop with her eyes glued to gemstones - "absolutely".
- Independent Mrs Cathryn Richardson DGA, FGA, is our registered valuer. She also trains jewellers staff up and down the country and around the world, she is a tutor on a number of jewellery, valuation and gemmology courses. Attended HOFU the Hearts On Fire Training in 2003. Expert Witness accredited by several police authorities both in England and Scotland.
- New for 2009 we recruited Sam who is now getting to grips with a thousand and one new things to her.
- Lynn has joined us for a couple of days a week and has started to climb that mountain of knowledge that makes Thomas's an exciting place to work!
Jewellers Training
At Thomas's we have always been convinced that our staff and customers and the business benefit from training. A great deal of informal training takes place by "working with Nellie", the continuous process of shop talk, product information and periodical reviews. In addition we expect all staff to participate in the prime training of the National Association of Goldsmiths [NAG], which is the PJ Dip. While Thomas's have decided to leave the NAG membership we will continue to use the educational services.
Having one of the trades' skilled trainers on staff really benefits us, and other jewellers benefit from from Cathryn getting her skills regularly honed on Thomas's customers and staff.
Distance training with the NAG and Gem-A brings staff into diverse other trade trainers. There is also the opportunity to visit Las Vegas for the Hearts On Fire University, a three day summer school of intense daytime learning and just as intense fun in the evenings in Las Vegas, the reward for having earned the passage to HOFU.
Post nominals of the jewellery trade where relevant to Thomas's Staff
FGA Fellow of the Gemmological Association, passed the required examinations and pays the annual fee!
DGA Diamond Member of the Gemmological Association. These days it can stand as a separate examination, but in the good old days you had to have the Gemmological Diploma to take the post diploma certificate in Gem Diamonds.
RJ Dip Retail Jewellers Diploma, awarded after examination by the National Association of Goldsmiths
PJ Dip, Professional Jewellers Diploma, the modern form of the RJ Dip, again by examination.
PJ Val Dip Professional Jewellers Valuation Diploma, awarded by the NAG by examination but few it seems have stood the rigours of the course and tough examination.
Job Description; Registered Valuer. Those experienced jewellers who have satisfied the NAG's Valuation Committee of their competence in jewellery valuations, and who agree to abide by the rules of that body. Cathryn Richardson is our independant registered valuer.
I hope this insight will demonstrate our commitment to training, so that customers and staff can benefit.
[Location] [Skipton] [Finger sizes] [Links]
Contact Information
Staff matters : Geoff Thomas; partner
Telephone 01756 795353
- Postal address:
- 36 Sheep Street, Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 1HY
- Electronic mail
- General Information, Sales &Customer Support : shop@thomas-skipton.co.uk
Webmaster: geoff@thomas-skipton.co.uk
