Start a Career in Ceramics

As potters ourselves, we established Friends Craft Cooperative to enable craft workers to make a good living doing honest work.

Program Objectives: Develop working class individuals to generate livelihood through jobs or own business in ceramics.

How: Technical ceramics training, career counselling, product design, and professional networks. Job placement support.

Program Time: 7th April - 28th June 2026; Tue - Sat, 10am - 6pm

Cost: Fully Sponsored

Allowance: Limited funds from the Coop available by financial need. Opportunities to earn through sales of products.

Deadline: Rolling admissions until 21 March 2026

Closed for 2026
CIMB Foundation logo with a stylized plant icon and the slogan 'Empowering Communities, Changing Lives'

Our pottery apprenticeship program is a fully sponsored highly regarded full time 3 month program in pottery and ceramic art.

Selected candidates will undergo a structured training program to prepare you for a career in pottery. 

Ideal applicants are seeking to develop their skills for a career in pottery making, product design, art education, sales etc. Applications are highly competitive.

  • Priority for individuals from lower income family backgrounds (less than RM5,000/month)

  • Priority for individuals who have had less opportunities so far in life.

  • No formal education necessary

  • Attention to detail/quality conscious

  • Values opportunities to learn

  • Hardworking and output oriented

  • Prior pottery experience is an advantage, but not essential

Requirements

Pottery Apprenticeship Program Outline

3 Month Structured Program

Our training and products specialise in traditional hand skills and modern technical knowledge required in handmade ceramics. Exposure to wheel throwing, handbuilding, mould making, and glaze making equips apprentices with the fundamentals to offer their skills to the world.

Job Preparation

Alongside technical pottery training, we offer rigourous preparation in professional skills, hosting workshops on CV writing, interview prep, photography, public speaking, and marketing. This is critical for apprentices to be able to communicate the value of their technical skills.

Earn from Co-Design Partnerships

We partner with Retailers, Restaurants, and Hotels for apprentices to co-design unique ceramics and tableware, offering not only an invaluable real industry experience, but 100% earnings from the sale.

Freshly thrown unglazed clay cups on a wooden table, pottery wheels, and pottery tools scattered around, with a sign that says 'Friends Craft Coop' on a wooden stand near a window.

Curriculum

For our 2026 intake, our program is 3 months full time from April - June 2026. This program brings together 10 collaborators in the industry, ranging from historic potters, ceramic factories, and Kuala Lumpur restaurants.

  • Technical training in wheel throwing, handbuilding, carving, glazing, kiln loading etc. Career guidance. Pottery history research and study.

    Studio demos by local master potters. Field visits to other studios.

  • May: Work in teams to organise efficient production lines. Workshops in marketing, photography, and job preparation by professionals.

  • June: As their final project, apprentices are expected to design and fulfil a ceramics order with one of our co-design partners. The Coop will cover the business and manufcaturing expense, and apprentices will receive 100% of the sales proceeds.

Graduating apprentices may be offered a full time position at Friends Craft Cooperative or will receive job placement support. Graduates may also have opportunities to continue as an independent craftworker at Friends.

Success Criterias

We invest roughly RM10,000 in training for each apprentice. Our success criterias are one of:

  1. Apprentices are employed by the Coop

  2. Apprentices are employed elsewhere in industry

  3. Apprentices have a product accepted by a retailer

  4. Apprentices earn RM10,000 through pottery works within 1 year of graduation

FAQs

  • Our pottery apprenticeship is a free program to support individuals from working class backgrounds develop livelihoods and careers through pottery.

  • Friends Craft Cooperative offers a matching grant for individuals or organisations who want to sponsor qualifying candidates from low income backgrounds. This means you will only need to sponsor half the apprentice's program cost.

    Please email us at friendscraftcoop@gmail.com

  • Yes. Experience in any form of making is preferred, but not necessary. However, applicants who have demonstrable interest and shown an ability for already learning/researching on their own initiative are more likely to be successful.

    We highly recommend those who have never worked a manual job nor have craft making experience to first try under the recreational membership.

  • As an intensive 3 month program, this is a full time commitment.

  • Please email friendscraftcoop@gmail.com for further enquiries.