THEY are practitioners in a field considered one of the oldest of human arts — glass bead making.

Glass bead makers/designers, as they are called, are creators of some of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery on the market — depending, of course, on one’s tastes.

Career & Education talks this week to Ghanaian native Kudjo Owusu — a man who has been perfecting the art of glass bead making for over a quarter of a century — for insight into the work he and others in the field do.

Owusu, 32, a resident of Odumase Krobo in West Africa, is an employee of Cedi Beads Industry who travels the world teaching people the art of glass bead making. He is currently in Jamaica to train locals at the HEART Trust/NTA.

Who is a glass bead maker?

Glass bead makers are skilled or unskilled individuals who collect glass bottles, break them down to there finest state with a steel mortar and use the material to create beads mainly for sale in the fashion industry. Prior to this, terra-cotta clay is moulded into different cylindrical designs and also used to make a wood-burning kiln where the glass is heated and reshaped.

What is the value of the work that you do?

Glass bead making is valued very big around the world, especially in countries such as Africa, Europe, the United States of America and Asia. The profession not only allows (the practitioner) to create beads, you can teach others how to create beads as well. That is the area I favour the most of my career.

What prompted your entry into the field?

I grew up only to see my parents and the rest of my family doing serious bead making as well as farming.

What are the academic requirements for entry into the field?

You really don’t need to have proper qualification. All you need to do is collect glass bottles, break them down and create your beads. In the eastern region of West Africa, where I am from, the skill is mainly inherited through families.

What are some of the challenges that you face on the job?

The main challenge I sometimes face surrounds materials needed during the training process. The materials needed when training individuals in different countries are never the same.

What do you most enjoy about the work that you do?

What I like the most is imparting the knowledge to others.

How much can one earn as a bead maker annually?

In Ghana, one can earn 300 to 400 Ghanaian Cedis (US$195 to US$260) monthly from bead making. The total production and sales will (determine) the income one receives annually.

Trained as a bead maker, what employment options are open to you?

You can become a teacher of the skill, a manufacturer or trader.

Why would you advise anyone to get into this line of work?

I would encourage others to get into this field because the operation cost is very small and the income is very big. It’s all about (using) recycled material and the tools (themselves) are sometimes recycled. All you need to do is walk around and collect glass bottles, wash them nicely and use wood for your fire. This is a great investment opportunity for people.