Celebrating Our 2026 Graduates and Launching a New Era in Jewellery Training
Friday 30 October 2026 marked a historic occasion as The Jewellers Academy Yorkshire celebrated its Class of 2026 graduation alongside its first global live-stream broadcast, attended by special guest Ben Massey, CEO of the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ).
Celebrating 25 years of developing the business, founder Derek Boyd shared his journey from Swiss-trained watchmaker to establishing a multi-award-winning commercial jewellery training facility. He explained the Academy's unique training methods, which have achieved 100% graduate employment or self-employment over the past five years and a 98% return rate for short-course trainees.
The event also introduced the Academy's exciting new interactive live-stream training platform, launching in January 2027, bringing real-time commercial jewellery training to students across the globe.
Congratulations to Our 2026 Trainee of the Year!
The highlight of the graduation was Ben Massey's heartfelt address to our trainees, followed by the announcement of Megan Browne as Trainee of the Year 2026, winning a £1,500 tool bursary.
Special congratulations also go to runner-up Oliver Wilce, whose outstanding progress and determination made this one of the closest competitions yet.
Our sincere thanks to Ben Massey and the NAJ for their encouragement, attendance and continued support for practical skills training across the jewellery industry.
With our first Level 4 Class of 2027 introduced, further classes being recruited and a dedicated American live-stream planned for spring 2027, an exciting new chapter has begun!
Watch the Full Presentation & Graduation
Discover the founder's remarkable journey, Ben Massey's speech, the graduation ceremony and our vision for the future of jewellery training.
The Jewellers Academy Yorkshire — Traditional Skills. Commercial Standards.