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Friday is Registration Deadline for Conch Shell Carving Workshop

The registration deadline is Friday for a three-day workshop on carving the Queen Conch shell, the official seashell of the Virgin Islands, which will take place in early December as part of a venture for promoting fine art crafts in the territory.

The workshop, a collaboration between the Department of Labor and Rare Earth Studio, will be held on St. Thomas from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 9-11, and on St. Croix from 8:30 a. m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 12-14. The workshop fee is $750.

The workshop will feature Alfonso Vitiello, whose family has been involved in cameo carving since 1790, and professor Gaglione Crescenzo, renowned teacher of fine cameo carving, both from Torre Del Greco, Italy. This workshop is geared towards existing jewelry designers and those interested in learning a new trade or applying their current skills for a new opportunity in the immense jewelry industry.

Participants will also be able to learn the business benefits of this craft, according to the Department of Labor’s announcement.

Tools and materials will be provided and scholarships are available from the V.I. Department of Labor to eligible participants.

"Fine jewelry design has become a billion-dollar industry throughout the Caribbean, making this is a great opportunity for jewelry designers, entrepreneurs and, most importantly, individuals who may be unemployed seeking to use their current skills and abilities to learn a new trade," said acting Labor Commissioner Arah C. Lockhart.

Lockhart said that in this time of global economic shifts, particularly in the Virgin Islands, new career plans and professional skills will be essential to economic diversification and expanding employment opportunities for Virgin Islands residents.

Rare Earth Studio director Ivanne Farr said the organization strives to offer "the highest quality of education for gemology, jewelry and watch studies."

"We know our work is creating a legacy of hope for the future for Virgin Islanders,” Farr said.

Craft artisans, precious metal and gem workers, engravers and many others can use their current skills to obtain skills towards a new career path, according to the Occupational Information Network, a career-building web service sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and available online at www.onetonline.org.

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