DCA courses approved in Louisiana

Nashville, Tenn.--Students in Louisiana now will have the chance to explore the opportunities in the jewelry industry even earlier than before.

The Louisiana Department of Education has approved the Diamond Council of America’s beginning and advanced jewelry sales courses for teaching in the state’s high schools. DCA will provide the courses through its Jewelry Career Readiness Initiative.

Students in Louisiana currently can pursue two types of high school diplomas--a college and career diploma or a career diploma. The classes that incorporate DCA’s jewelry sales courses fit within the latter and are part of the hospitality, tourism, culinary and retail graduation pathway.

The DCA said that while they hope that some schools will work the classes into their retail pathway this fall, it’s more likely that schools will enter into the program for the 2016-2017 school year.

The DCA launched its Jewelry Career Readiness Initiative last year to equip high school students in the United States with the education needed for a career in jewelry retail and to help prepare the next generation of professionals for the jewelry industry.

One of the program’s prime objectives is to have DCA courses added to career and technical education choices that schools offer their students, the organization said.

Under the program, school districts or individual schools join the Diamond Council of America as associate members and pay an annual fee for membership and the right to use the group’s nationally accredited courses.

Once it’s licensed, a district or school can enroll as many students as it would like. There are four courses currently available through the program--the diamond course, the colored gemstone course, beginning jewelry sales and advanced jewelry sales.

Louisiana was the first state to approve the Jewelry Career Readiness Initiative on a statewide level.

Georgia, New Jersey and Texas, meanwhile, have individual schools or districts that are participating in the program, and DCA said that it likely will have more than a dozen high schools taking part this year.

“We’re thrilled to have our courses offered in Louisiana,” said DCA President and CEO Terry Chandler. “This is a major development for DCA as well as the schools and students that will be participating.”