Profession leather goods manufacturing technician

Leather goods manufacturing technicians perform a wide range of activities and tasks related to the leather goods manufacturing process including cutting, closing and finishing, according to pre-defined quality criteria, resulted from the direct relationship with the costumer. They use manual techniques supported by simple traditional equipment to produce exclusive models or very small orders.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Investigative
• Investigative / Realistic
• Realistic / Conventional
• Enterprising / Realistic

Knowledge

• Leather goods quality

  The quality specifications of materials, processes, and final products, the most common defects in leather, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, and the adequate equipment for quality checks. 

• Leather goods components

  The various procedures and methods in the processing of leather materials and leather goods components like manufacturability and properties.  

• Pre-stitching processes and techniques for footwear and leather goods

  Technology including machinery and techniques for the preparation for leather goods components and footwear uppers.

• Leather goods materials

  The wide range of materials used in leather goods production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, etc; the way of distinguishing among various materials based on their properties, advantages and limitations.

• Leather goods manufacturing processes

  The processes, technology and machinery involved in the leather goods manufacturing.  

Skills

• Prepare leather goods samples

  Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of leather goods against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical improvements.

• Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing

  Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.

• Manage production of footwear or leather goods

  Plan the production of footwear or leather goods according to the company’s objectives, deadlines and available resources. Distribute, coordinate and control all activities and the various production phases using information from technical sheets and organisation and methods. Strive to optimise quality, productivity and safety. Collaborate with all linked departments. Report on production, quality, productivity deviations and propose corrective measures.

• Use IT tools

  Application of computers, computer networks and other information technologies and equipment to storing, retrieving, transmitting and manipulating data, in the context of a business or enterprise.

• Apply machine cutting techniques for footwear and leather goods

  Adjust and establish the machine technical operating parameters for cutting footwear and leather goods. Check and select the cutting dies, classification of the cut pieces against cutting restrictions, specifications and quality requirements. Check and complete the cutting orders. Perform simple procedures for maintenance of machines.

• Plan leather goods manufacture

  Design the manufacturing process for each model of leather goods. Plan the stages of manufacturing and operations for production. Plan the usage of materials and leather components. Select machines and equipment. Plan the workforce. Calculate direct and indirect costs associated with manufacturing. Plan the maintenance of machines and equipment.

• Apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machinery

  Apply basic rules of maintenance and cleanliness on footwear and leather goods production equipment and machines that you operate.

• Use communication techniques

  Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.

• Communicate commercial and technical issues in foreign languages

  Speak one or more foreign languages in order to communicate commercial and technical issues with various suppliers and clients.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB