The French luxury conglomerate is launching its Institute of Métiers d'Excellence artisan training programme in the US, teaching jewellery skills to the next generation with Tiffany.

LVMH is expanding its artisan training programme to the US in partnership with Tiffany in an ongoing effort to preserve centuries-old skills. It’s hoping to attract diverse and underrepresented groups to get there.

The Institute of Métiers d’Excellence was founded in 2014 and has partnered with 39 LVMH maisons to date, including Bulgari, Christian Dior, Fendi, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton. For the US edition, it is working with Tiffany on a two-year Bench Jeweler Apprentice Program, teaching jewellery design application and artisan techniques. The first cohort will start in September and rotate through Tiffany workshops. IME is aiming for an equal split of men and women and is encouraging applicants from diverse and historically underrepresented communities.

To ensure the recruitment process is inclusive and to extend IME’s reach, LVMH is partnering with employment agencies, non-profit LGBTQ+ associations, and historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — higher education institutions in the US that were established before the Civil Rights Act with the intention of primarily serving the Black community. LVMH is also visiting schools and careers fairs in college towns, where previous apprentices and members of the HR team will answer students’ and parents’ questions. The luxury conglomerate launched a free digital platform called “Inside LVMH” last year that connects students and teachers with LVMH experts to show what it’s like to work at the company through articles, seminars and podcasts.

“The point is to put lights in their eyes, so they say, ‘I never would have pictured myself working at Louis Vuitton or Dior but, actually, yes, I could because I see somebody like me who has done it before and is happy about it’,” says LVMH EVP of human resources and synergies Chantal Gaemperle.

Tiffany echoes this focus on inclusivity. “Tiffany is deeply committed to building an inclusive workplace that honours diversity,” says the brand’s chief human resources officer Mary Bellai. “By supporting IME, we are proud to support the advancement of women and marginalised communities across our design and innovation centres. The advancement of skills-based and leadership training and opportunities for mentorship will assist with the development of our talent pipeline and long-term career trajectory among our employees.”

Tiffany & Co. “About Love” campaign featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z. Tiffany will be providing training on jewellery design and fabrication for incoming IME apprentices. Photo: Mason Poole
The IME programme helps LVMH to fill job vacancies across the group that are identified as requiring luxury craftsmanship in trades including knitwear, silk, leather goods, shoemaking, winemaking, makeup formulation, tailoring and draping. In 2021, 75 per cent of IME apprentices found a job within an LVMH maison or one of the group’s external partners. LVMH typically offers between 300 and 350 apprenticeships annually but expects the number to be higher this year.

Founded in France, IME has since expanded to Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan and Germany. LVMH has a long-term vision to continue expanding the programme globally. In particular, it is eyeing up China as a key hub of talent. With the global expansion of IME, LVMH says it wants to ensure it is protecting the specific knowledge embedded in local artisan communities while cultivating the company’s global vision. Gaemperle visited a Dior atelier in France last week, where she described an apprentice meticulously applying buttons by hand to a dress using a rare technique learned at the IME.

In addition to training young people, IME supports those who may have lost their jobs and are looking to reskill. The programme currently covers an age range of 16 to 60 years old, with 68 per cent under 25 years old and 35 per cent reskilling. “You’re mixing generations and mixing backgrounds. It’s a way of creating those spaces for opening up minds, boosting creativity and hopefully for [students] to feel they belong to a group that is placing high value on their art and skills,” says Gaemperle.

“We have to be more vocal about the existence of these jobs and lower the barriers to entry as well as the mental barriers that people themselves have,” she adds. “It’s about showing that yes, we are the leader in luxury and our brands speak very loudly, but behind the brands are passionate human beings who stay with the company for a long time.”

Courtesy: Vogue Business