George Brown College students protested against the decision to reduce some jewelry and gemmology programs, including the three-year jewelry arts and two-year jewelry methods programs. Students expressed concern that these programs are vital for hands-on learning and career preparation in the Canadian jewelry industry. The college cited declining enrollment as the reason for limiting new admissions, now only accepting students for a one-year jewelry essentials program. Protestors conveyed strong feelings that closing these programs would hinder future professionals and the industry's growth.
'To shut it down is not only a slap in the face but also just so backwards because it's like we're regressing,' Ghazal Ghahreman, a first-year student in jewelry arts, told CBC Toronto during the march. 'This program is absolutely invaluable.'
Ghahreman said the programs provide students with technical skills and prepare them for careers in the jewelry industry in Canada once they graduate. Jewelry companies in Canada hire graduates, she added.
In a letter to the college, Ghahreman said: 'You are not simply closing doors to students like myself, but shutting out the future of countless professionals, the artisans, and innovators who will come after us, leaving them adrift without the foundation this program has provided for over half a century.'
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