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Craft glassmakers design, make and decorate glass objects from windows, mirrors and tableware to one-off decorative pieces.
You could work: between 8am and 6pm;
As a glassmaker, you could:
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
You could work in a creative studio or in a workshop.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in a subject like:
You'll need a portfolio of work to showcase your skills when applying for courses.
You'll usually need:
Some colleges run short creative craft courses in glass, which can be useful for picking up glassmaking skills and techniques.
There are also glass manufacturing courses, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need to get into the commercial glassmaking industry. These include:
You could apply to do a Stained Glass Craftsperson Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.
This takes around 3 years to complete and covers a range of glass craft techniques, including:glass painting; enamelling; etching; stained glass
You'll usually need:
You could enrol on a training course with a practising glass artist or a college offering crafts courses.
You can find a list of commercial and college glass course providers through the Contemporary Glass Society.
Art and design subjects as well as science and technology are helpful if you want to work in glass craftwork, as you'll need both technical skills and artistic ability.
For industrial or scientific glass manufacturing, science and technology subjects would be most useful.
You can find out more about a career as a glassmaker from the Crafts Council and the Contemporary Glass Society.
You could set up your own business with your own creative studio or work alongside other artists as part of a creative community.
With experience and further qualifications you could teach students and apprentices in colleges or universities.