Craft Artist onboarding at a glance

Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.

Before day one

Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
Verify required credentials: Craft school courses, BFA (as applicable)
Prepare equipment and access: potter’s wheels; kilns; torches; looms
Assign a buddy or preceptor
Enroll the new hire in Craft Artist training so foundations are covered before or during week one

Week one: orient and protect

Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
Ventilate kilns and glazes
Use eye protection
Handle hot materials safely
Use tools safely
Shadow an experienced craft artist through a full shift
Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)

Days 1–30: learn

Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.

Supervised practice: price handmade work so you profit
Supervised practice: prepare for a juried craft fair
Supervised practice: photograph craft work for online sales
Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins

Days 31–60: contribute

Goal: handle a regular workload independently.

Design pieces: independently
Make crafts: independently
Photograph work: independently
Sell at fairs and online: independently
Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
60-day check-in

Days 61–90: own

Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.

Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
Begin cross-training on a secondary task
Agree on a credential goal (for example, Craft school courses)
Discuss the career path: Hobbyist → Emerging Artist → Established Artist
90-day review

Competency checklist

Skill or task	Trained	Observed	Signed off
Price Handmade Work So You Profit
Prepare for a Juried Craft Fair
Photograph Craft Work for Online Sales
Craft techniques
Design
Photography
Pricing

How to measure onboarding success

Time to first independent project
Revision rounds per project
On-time delivery rate
90-day retention

How Craft Artist training maps to this plan

Introduction to the Craft Artist Role
A Day on the Job
Essential Craft Artist Vocabulary
Core Duties and Responsibilities
Common Tasks, Step by Step
Tools, Equipment and Technology
Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
Skills Employers Look For
Launching Your Craft Artist Career
Final Knowledge Check

Get team pricing

Craft Artist Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)