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What Work Leicestershire
TEXTILES MANUFACTURING AND FASHION
This sector was at the heart of Leicester and Leicestershire ’ s economic development throughout the 19th and 20th century , predominantly in knitwear and hosiery . Much manufacturing went overseas in the 1980s , but there is still a significant industry locally today . New innovation will mean that Information Technology and Computer Aided Design skills will be in demand to meet the needs of high-tech machinery . The textiles sector is much wider than fashion , including home furnishing , leather and sports garments ; even car seat covers !
What is happening ?
• The sector includes occupations such as textile research and development , fashion designer , graphic designer , pattern cutter , sampler , machine operative , knitter , fabric dyer and printer , buyer , merchandiser , textile technologist , supervisor , quality control inspector , production manager , mechanical and electrical engineer , and many others !
• Smart textiles technology is advancing and the markets for eco- friendly garments and British goods is growing .
• The sector composition in this area is mainly around manufacturing and finish of fashion apparel , knitwear and hosiery . It is the second largest employment area for textiles manufacture in the UK , contributing over half a billion pounds to the Leicester and Leicestershire economy every year , with 9,500 jobs across 1,480 businesses in the area .
• Some UK retailers are choosing to switch production from abroad back to the UK , for flexibility and speed , and several local businesses have invested significantly in high technology machinery .
• Some roles are ideal for ‘ on the job ’ training , but as machinery and techniques are increasingly ‘ state of the art ’, higher level skills are required .
• De Montfort University in Leicester has renowned textiles courses , and some of their students have won awards at national Graduate Fashion Week .
• The Leicestershire Textiles Hub was created to better link manufacturers with global retailers and online brands , and to support local employers , join up local information and initiatives and help to further develop the sector .
In demand ...
Local employers include
• Basic Thinking
• Just Hype
• Basic Premier
• Fashion Fabrics
• Studio One
• VM Fabrics
• Euro-Rose Knitwear
• Vinola Knitwear
What could you earn ?
Footwear designer Dressmaker / tailor Textiles technician Sample machinist Print engineer
Importer / exporter Production manger
On the web
• Galaxy Knitwear
• Fanela
• Meesha Graphics
• Elite Labels
• Barcode Fashion
• Faering Ltd
• Early Days
• HB Shoes
£ 16K- £ 50K £ 20K- £ 40K £ 25K- £ 40K £ 15K- £ 30K £ 22K- £ 40K £ 20K- £ 35K £ 22K- £ 65K www . creativeskillset . org www . drapersjobs . com www . leicestershiretextileshub . co . uk