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Garment technologist

  • Hours

    38 per week

  • Starting salary

    £16,000 + per year



The work

As a garment technologist, you would support design and buying teams through all stages of product development, from design to manufacture. You could be employed by a garment manufacturer or a large high-street retailer.

Your responsibilities would include:

  • suggesting modifications to designs if necessary
  • advising on suitable fabrics
  • making sure that the most appropriate construction methods are used
  • making sure garments can be produced within budget
  • overseeing fabric testing and fittings of first samples
  • responding to product queries
  • analysing product returns and faults.

You would work closely with other staff such as designers, pattern cutters and graders, and buyers.


Hours

You would work around 38 hours a week, but may sometimes need to do extra hours, for example to make sure collections are produced on time.

You would be office-based, but would travel to meet with customers and suppliers and visit manufacturers. This would often include visiting overseas manufacturers, for example in the Far East or Southern Europe.


Income

  • Starting salaries can be between £16,000 and £18,000 a year
  • With experience this can rise to £25,000 or more
  • Senior technologists can earn around £50,000

Figures are intended as a guideline only.


Entry requirements

You would usually need a degree in a subject related to garment technology and production. Some courses combine garment technology with fashion design. Universities offering relevant courses include:

Any work experience you gain during your study will be an advantage when you start applying for jobs.

To search for fashion and textile-related courses and degrees, visit the UCAS website. You should check with the individual colleges and universities for their entry requirements.

You may be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme. The range of Apprenticeships available in your area will depend on the local jobs market and the types of skills employers need from their workers. For more information on Apprenticeships, visit the Apprenticeships website.


Training and development

You would usually start in a junior role (in garment technology, product development, quality control or buying), and add to your practical skills by on-the-job learning. This is a crucial part of your career development.

You could also develop your knowledge and skills by completing relevant qualifications including:

  • ABC Level 2 Certificate in Apparel, Footwear, Leather or Textile Production
  • ABC Level 3 Diploma in Apparel, Footwear or Leather Production
  • ABC Level 3 Certificate in Apparel Manufacturing Technology
  • foundation degrees in subjects such as fashion and clothing technology.

You can gain professional recognition by joining the Textile Institute (TI) and applying for qualifications on three levels: Licentiate, Associate and Fellow. The TI also runs conferences, seminars and short courses.


Skills and knowledge

  • knowledge of production methods such as stitching and pattern-cutting
  • an understanding of manufacturing processes and textile properties
  • a strong interest in fashion and clothing retail
  • the ability to work alone or as part of a team
  • the ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

More information

Textile Institute (Opens new window)
1st Floor
St James's Buildings
Oxford Street
Manchester
M1 6FQ
Tel: 0161 237 1188
www.textileinstitute.org

Technical Textiles (Opens new window)
www.techtextiles.co.uk

Creative Skillset Careers (Opens new window)
Tel: 08080 300 900 (England and Northern Ireland)
Tel: 0845 850 2502(Scotland)
Tel: 08000 121 815 (Wales)
www.creativeskillset.org/careers

Creative Skillset (Opens new window)
Focus Point
21 Caledonian Road
London
N1 9GB
www.creativeskillset.org


Opportunities

Most jobs are with manufacturing and retail companies in the fashion industry. You could also be employed in companies producing technical textiles, such as those used in uniforms for the armed forces and emergency services – visit the Technical Textiles website for more information.

With experience, you could progress to senior technologist or technical manager. You may also be able to move into research within a university or similar institution.


Related industry information

Industry summary

The apparel industry is part of the fashion and textiles sector, represented by Creative Skillset, which also includes: apparel; textiles; and footwear and leather; advertising; animation; computer games; facilities; film; interactive media; photo imaging; publishing; radio; and television. The fashion and textiles sector as a whole employs an estimated 340,000 people across 79,000 enterprises, which are predominately small and medium sized employers. The sector contributes around £10 billion to the UK economy each year, but due to the current economic downturn, product exports have fallen. However, employment in the sector has remained relatively stable level.

The apparel industry includes the manufacture of: knitwear; hosiery; apparel or clothing such as workwear, underwear and outerwear; plus the wholesale of clothing. Recent manufacturing output of the industry has declined, but productivity has risen where it has remained virtually static across the wider manufacturing sector. Clothing and footwear prices have fallen. Suppliers of niche and luxury brands, such as cashmere and premium fashion garments, are reportedly doing well.

Key facts:

  • The industry contributes almost £4.8bn to the UK economy each year.
  • Around 156,000 people are employed in the industry with around 20,000 of these using design skills as part of their work.
  • There are around 35,000 businesses, of which around 23,000 are sole traders.
  • There are around 2,000 design consultancies in the industry, employing around 4,000 people.
  • The businesses in this industry tend to be small or medium-sized, employing 250 people or fewer.

Jobs in the industry range from:

  • Operative level staff – sewing machinist, garment cutter, garment presser, knitting operative, knitwear linker
  • Craftspeople and designer-makers – handcraft tailor, milliner, couturier
  • Higher level, technical personnel – designer, garment technologist, sample technician, pattern cutter, pattern grader
  • Production managers – production manager, technical managers, production co-ordinator, manufacture co-ordinator

National and regional data

The clothing industry is widely distributed across England, but with key clusters:

  • clothing manufacture in Leicester, Nottingham, London
  • knitwear in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire
  • wholesale of clothing in London, Manchester and Leeds

Across all regions it is estimated that there will be a substantial decline in the total level of employment in the industry to 2017.

East Midlands – There are around 17,000 people employed, making it the second most important region for apparel employment in England. Leicester has the largest industry workforce, followed by Erewash (Derbyshire) and Nottingham.

East of England – There are around 7,000 people employed within the industry in the region, who are mainly located in Luton, Fenland (Cambs), Basildon, Hertsmere and St Albans.

London – London is a key area for clothing manufacture and the wholesale of clothing in the apparel industry, with around 24,000 people employed, making it the largest region for apparel in the UK. Within this area, Westminster has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry, followed by Tower Hamlets and Islington.

North East – There are around 4,000 people employed within the industry in the North East, which represents a small proportion of the total UK employment in this sector. Sunderland has the largest number of people employed, followed by County Durham. An estimated 1,000 recruits will be required in manufacturing positions to 2017 in the region.

North West – There are around 15,000 people employed within the industry, with the largest share located in Manchester. Stockport, Rochdale, East Cheshire and Blackburn are the other main centres in the region.

South East – There are around 5,000 people employed within the apparel industry in the region. Havant has the largest industry workforce in the region, with most of the remainder split fairly evenly between Milton Keynes, Chichester, Guildford and Southampton.

South West – There are around 6,000 people employed within the industry, who are mainly located in South Gloucestershire. Other key centres include Swindon, Cornwall, Bristol and Bath.

West Midlands – There are over 6,000 people employed within the industry. Birmingham has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry followed by Sandwell.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are over 10,000 people employed within the industry, making it one of the largest regions for apparel in the UK. Leeds has the largest number of people employed in the apparel industry then Kirklees and Bradford.

[N.B. Data derived from Annual Business Inquiry, 2007.]


Career paths


Further sources


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