Employees at Minster’s Jewelers, which has stores in Newark and Wilmington, Del., are well acquainted with Jewelers of America training courses.

Every year for the past three years, company President Will Minster has taken about 10 less-experienced staffers to JA’s summer show for the Jewelry 101 course (now available on video). After Jewelry 101, students move on to the Sales Professional Courses. “I’ve got seven employees getting ready to start those,” says Minster. He also has also found GIA courses valuable, and his bench jeweler-who has 30 years in the business-has Bench Jewelers’ and Senior Bench Jewelers’ certificates.

Minster also does some of his own training. He provides employees with vendor-specific information (such as the components of Bulova products) and, on a weekly basis, reviews and quizzes employees on information picked up from reading trade journals and attending trade shows.