Glass maker

Glassmakers produce a wide variety of types of objects, ranging from milk bottles to windows for buildings and vehicles, and from crystal vases to test tubes.

If you work in a craft studio or workshop you would be involved in the whole process of designing, making and decorating.

You could sell your products from your studio, at craft fairs, or through shops and galleries.

Glassmakers work in any of the following areas of the industry: flat glass – windows and doors for buildings; containers – bottles, jars and tableware; scientific and laboratory equipment; automotive glass – vehicle windows and sunroofs; glass fibre – for insulation and optical cables; crystal ware – for wine glasses and gifts.

Depending on the product, they can be involved in industrial glassmaking – making large quantities of glass products, usually using computer-controlled machinery, or craft work – designing and making products such as hand-blown glassware or stained glass in a small studio or workshop.

The work includes: using silica (sand), lime and soda as basic ingredients for windows and cheaper items; using different additives to make different types of glass; heating the ingredients with cullet (scrap glass) to very high temperatures at which they become liquid; shaping the mixture by either glassblowing or by kiln forming; carrying out processes such as cutting, grinding, toughening or laminating, depending on the product; applying decorative techniques such as engraving, sand or grit-blasting, stencilling and acid etching.

 

Salaries can start at around £14,000 a year. This can rise to between £18,000 and £22,000. Experienced staff can earn from £22,000 to £35,000.

Earnings for self-employed craft glassmakers vary depending on the amount of work they have.

You may find qualifications in science and art helpful, although they are not essential. In glass factories you will usually train on the job, working towards NVQs. To be a craftsperson, you will need both technical skills and artistic ability. Many craft glassmakers have a degree or BTEC HND.

You can choose from a number of full-time degree courses which specialise either in glass or glass and ceramics. These last for three years and include subjects such as Glass, Ceramics with Glass, Design and Applied Arts (Glass) and Decorative Arts.

You will need a portfolio of work for entry to courses, but other requirements vary, so you should check with individual colleges or universities.

As an alternative to an HND or degree, you could develop your skills by completing courses on a variety of levels at colleges and studios. Studios often run summer or weekend courses, some of which are residential.