Sample Machinist

Typical Salary

£15,000 To £30,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

9am to 5pm

How To Become a Sample Machinist

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant courses include:

Level 1 Award in Fashion - Sewing Machine Skills
Level 1 Certificate in Fashion and Textiles

2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through a sewing machinist intermediate apprenticeship or a garment maker advanced apprenticeship.

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Routes into this Career

You would usually move into this job after getting experience as a sewing machinist on a production line.

Although there are no set entry requirements for applying for this job directly, employers would expect you to have literacy and numeracy skills to read instructions and understand measurements.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work on your own
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
the ability to work well with others
the ability to work well with your hands
physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
observation and recording skills
the ability to operate and control equipment
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties may include:

checking all pattern pieces are present to start a job
following fabric, colour and size instructions from the designer and pattern cutter
using industrial machines like overlockers and binders
stitching sections together and adding labels to them
pressing the garment to give it a 'finished' appearance
advising the design team about the best way to construct the sample
discussing any 'tweaks' to the design instructions before the item goes into production
carrying out quality control checks during a production run
helping other machinists during busy periods
working directly with customers who supply their own design details

Working Environment

You could work in a creative studio, in a workshop or from home.

Career Path & Progression

With experience, you could move on to higher-level technical roles, like garment technologist or quality control technician.

You could also move into clothing design.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Further information

You can get more information on working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.

Restrictions & Requirements

Restrictions & Requirements are not listed for this job.