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Footwear designer apprenticeships

Creative and media

Footwear designer apprenticeships - where to start

You can get into this job through

  • a university course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role


    • University

    You could do a degree or postgraduate qualification in footwear design, or a fashion design qualification that includes footwear. You should look for courses that teach both the design and technical skills needed by the industry. The British Fashion Council is a good place to start looking for courses.


    You'll usually need: 

    • a foundation diploma in art and design 
    • 2 to 3 A-Levels, or equivalent, for a degree 
    • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
    Apprenticeship
    You could get into this job through a higher apprenticeship as a fashion and textiles product technologist. You'll usually need 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A-Levels, or equivalent.

    Work
    You could start as a design assistant in a studio and learn on the job. With further training, you could begin to produce your own designs. It's very important to put together a portfolio of work that you can take to interviews. This should include designs, technical drawings and mood boards to show your creative talents.

    Footwear designer apprenticeships - what it takes

    Skills and knowledge

    You'll need:

    • to be thorough and pay attention to detail 
    • the ability to come up with new ways of doing things 
    • the ability to use your initiative 
    • to be flexible and open to change 
    • ambition and a desire to succeed 
    • thinking and reasoning skills 
    • excellent verbal communication skills 
    • active listening skills 
    • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

    Footwear designer apprenticeships - what you'll do

    Day-to-day tasks

    You could: 

    • create 'one off' designs (haute couture) 
    • base your designs on a theme for the coming season (ready-to-wear, high street) 
    • use computer aided design (CAD) software, graphics packages and traditional hand-drawing techniques to create your designs 
    • research design ideas 
    • follow a brief 
    • adapt existing designs 
    • work closely with the design team
    • produce samples before agreeing the final design 
    • send technical instructions to the manufacturers to produce the final product
    Working environment
    You could work in a creative studio, from home or in a workshop.

    Career path and progression - Footwear designer apprenticeships

    With experience within a company, you could progress to senior designer, design director or head of department. You could also become a freelance designer, employed by companies to work on specific projects, or become self-employed and launch your own collection.

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    Considering an Apprenticeship?

    There are lots of benefits to apprenticeships, here are our top 5:

    • Paid Training
      Not only will your organisation (or the Government) pay for all of your training, but you’ll be paid to do it. That means you could actually get paid to get your degree and have no debt!
    • Range of career opportunities
      There are over 625 different apprenticeships to choose from, in a range of industries. Whether you’re interested in law, marketing, construction or engineering, you’ll find something up your street!
    • Earn & learn
      As an apprentice, the minimum you’ll earn is £6.20 an hour, but we’ve seen apprentices earn a starting salary of up to £30,000 a year! You could also get other employee benefits like gym memberships, paid holiday and sick pay.
    • Great career prospects
      Employers think apprentices are 15% more employable than those with other qualifications. In fact, many large employers train their graduates and apprentices together!
    • Learn on the job
      There’s only so much you can learn when you just do a qualification. As an apprentice, you’ll also get to learn on the job - whether that’s designing amazing graphics, chopping vegetables or building engines!

    Start searching for Apprenticeships Near You

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