Course Overview

You need to be employed to start an Apprenticeship. Please visit our vacancy page or if you have an employer, please ensure you add full contact details of your employer within your application. If you are unable to secure employment, you could enrol on a full-time study programme and transfer to an Apprenticeship at a later date. Please apply for a full-time course as your second option.

This Apprenticeship is for someone looking to train as a pattern cutter working within the clothing and textiles industry producing a variety of products from clothing and fashion items to leather goods, soft furnishings, marine and medical textiles.

The role of a pattern cutter involves interpreting a product design brief and drafting patterns that reflect the design and technical specifications. They can use various pattern cutting methods to create the patterns such as, adjusting and shaping a standard pattern ‘block’, modifying a non-standard pattern base taken from the company library, or creating a pattern using ‘modelling’, which involves draping and pinning fabric over a mannequin and hand-cutting the fabric to form the pattern base.Pattern production software packages are also commonly used to create sewn product patterns, though in smaller businesses pattern cutters still produce patterns manually or use a combination of both manual and computerised systems.

You will learn to:

• Interpret given sewn product design briefs
• Draft prototype patterns that meet specifications and reflect given designs
• Work with the sample machinist to produce product samples
• Review and assess the product samples
• Adjust prototype patterns to meet required design and fit specifications
• Create the final master pattern ready for production
• Support the cutting and production process

Most jobs combine a number of these aspects, but whichever job you choose to do, your Apprenticeship will be structured so that the training matches your job. You will work for your employer four days a week and train for one day a week either in-house or at College.

Youcan start this apprenticeship at any time of year.

Assessment Methods

You will be appointed an Assessor who will visit you in the workplace and assess your progress. Some of these visits will provide you with evidence that you can use towards your qualification. One day a week you will work on your College coursework gaining the underpinning knowledge required.

Assessment is also through the completion of a multiple choice test, and professional discussion with an external examiner.

You are also required to complete Functional Skills in maths and English, though some exemptions may apply.

Progression Options

On completion you could continue your employment or progress to a university level qualification.