The President of Industry Professor Association takes pride in presenting this citation to Industry Professor – Jane Foster
Industry Experience
Jane Foster has over 30 years of experience in the global jewellery industry. Following a Higher National Diploma in Design Crafts (UK), her early career involved creating high-end jewellery and providing exclusive hand-painted rendered designs for 35 jewellers across the UK. This level of demand and craftsmanship attests to her elite design and visual communication skills.
She managed jewellery workshops across the UK and Channel Islands, including roles at John Ramsay Jewellers and Catherine Best Jewellery, where she led production teams and implemented quality control across operations. As a business owner, she founded and operated John Ramsay Jewellers (UK) and Easel and Bench (Australia). These enterprises reflect her business expansion, marketing, client management, and team leadership capabilities.
Since 2007, Jane has held progressive educational roles at TAFE Queensland, and currently leads the jewellery program statewide as Educational Team Leader. In this role, she oversees quality, curriculum, delivery, industry engagement, and financial sustainability, further demonstrating the depth and breadth of her industry experience.
Industry Endorsement
Jane has served as a judge for the prestigious JAA Australasian Jewellery Awards and as a WorldSkills judge, validating her technical credibility. Peers and industry bodies alike acknowledge her—Mr Portas of Diamondport Jewellers has credited her with nurturing talent for the trade.
TAFE Queensland and its industry partners widely recognise her leadership. Jane Foster organises and hosts the annual Queensland Apprentice of the Year awards, which are attended by 150 leaders from the sector, including independent business owners, corporations such as Michael Hill and Wallace Bishop, state ministers, and TAFE leadership. This highlights the high esteem in which she is held by government, education, and industry stakeholders.
Industry Training
Jane has trained, mentored, and assessed hundreds of apprentices. Students consistently describe her as generous with her time, technically exceptional, and passionate about sharing skills. Her leadership influences training design, quality assurance, and curriculum outcomes. Beyond her teaching, Jane shares knowledge via articles on Skillmaker, offering practical guidance on design, industry compliance, and customer engagement. Her public knowledge sharing, mentoring, and education leadership solidify her credentials as an Industry Professor.
Jane Foster is hereby awarded the title of Industry Professor in Jewellery Design and Manufacture.
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As CEO of Industry Professor Association, I have a passion for education and learning that leads towards a productive outcome for Industry. The Industry Professor Association is a non-profit organisation that recognises industry expertise and experience and helps members gain the ultimate recognition of their Industry career. We also help organise their industry expertise by converting it into digital learning products and sharing it with a learner hungry world.
As a previous Head of School – Southbank Institute of Technology, it gave me great insight into educational design, corporate client learning needs, government policy and strategies. My goal was to meet the needs of industry in regards to providing graduates who were highly trained in practical skills and employability skills. Whilst meeting the learning style of a generation that is highly engaging with communication channels, and immersed in collaboration to gain learning at their time, place and pace.