An advisory committee for the watch and jewelry industries' Coalition for Watchmaker Education (CWE) has prepared recommendations on the type of industry support needed by the nation's watchmaker training programs. The report was to be presented to officials of the CWE in September and the American Watch Association (AWA) this month.
The CWE was formed to deal with the shortage of U.S. watchmakers. (See "Where Have All the Watchmakers Gone?" JCK, October 2000, p. 156.) Only a few thousand remain, and many are near retirement. Unofficial CWE data indicate that 150 to 200 new watchmakers are needed annually to stem the decline. But the nation's 12 watch training schools and programs (down from 44 just a generation ago) graduate less than half that number, making it difficult for jewelers, repair shops, and watch suppliers to find qualified watchmakers. (Note: A new school that opened in