Produce footwear.
Overview
Approved for delivery on the 21/06/2018, the footwear manufacturer, Intermediate apprenticeship standard provides a level 2, upon completion. This apprenticeship will typically take 12 months to complete, not including the End-Point Assessment Period.
What the course covers
The role of a footwear manufacturer is to produce shoes, boots, trainers, slippers or specialist sports and dance footwear. You may work within a factory or a smaller studio environment. Footwear manufacturers are highly skilled craftspeople, working within a creative and competitive industry.
You will learn the start to end process of manufacturing a piece of footwear. You will develop the skills to work quickly and accurately using hand tools, technical equipment and machinery. Footwear manufacturers work consistently, following the detailed specifications for each piece of footwear, completing the process within agreed timescales and to the required quality standard. You will have excellent attention to detail and must be mindful of relevant health and safety regulations.
Typical daily tasks include cutting materials (most often leather), thinning the material (known as skiving), closing the footwear using a sewing machine, attaching the sole, making finishing touches to the footwear such as polishing or adding laces, and quality inspection of the finished product.
Footwear manufacturers work as part of a team of skilled professionals. You will report to your team leader or supervisor and may interact with people in associated professions such as quality control managers and product designers.
Careers and jobs associated
- Shoe designer
- Quality control specialist
If you would like to find out more about this apprenticeship standard, including possible duties of the role, skills and assessment method visit the Institute for Apprenticeships.
