A Cutting Room Manager is responsible for planning and managing the cutting of materials into components for the production of textile products. The Cutting Room Manager ensures the work is done accurately, cost effectively and within given timescales.

What would you do?

The Cutting room manager plans the work, oversees the work being carried out and makes sure production targets are met. Duties also include staff management and overseeing staff welfare and Cutting Room Health and Safety protocol.

Day to day tasks include:

• Planning work schedules and maintaining an efficient work flow
• Maintaining specialist cutting equipment
• Working with a variety of materials
• Staff training and admin duties

Where would you work?

Cutting Room Mangers can be employed by large or medium textiles business. They can be based in a in a cutting room within a factory or on the factory floor depending on the size of the business.

What would you be paid?

For a typical working week of approx. 39 hours

• A Cutting Room Managers starting salary on average is £20,000-£25,000 per year
• An experienced Cutting Room Manager salary on average is £30,000-£40,000 per year.

Pay rates vary depending on age, experience, location and the size of the company. Additional benefits may include pension and health care. Many companies offer overtime, bonuses in order to meet deadlines.

Apprenticeships: Employers, by law, must pay the government’s apprenticeship minimum wage rate. Research show that many textiles employers supplement this rate of pay. https://www.gov.uk/national-minimum-wage-rates

Will you need qualifications or training?

There is no formal qualification, however experience is required. Training is usually delivered on-the-job either on the production floor or in a training section.
Once employed as a Cutting Room Manager, it is usual to develop supervisory, management and technical skills on the job. Vocational qualifications and related courses in subjects such as Health and Safety may also be arranged by employers to develop their staff’s skills.

Qualifications relating to supervisory or management roles are available via Skills and Education Group, City & Guilds, Pearson, SQA and UAL

What are the career prospects?

Experience could lead to a production manager role, supervisory or quality control position or a career in staff training.

How secure is the future of this career?

The UK’s world-class textiles manufacture base is growing, thriving and continually investing. Sector employment continues to grow steadily from 97,000 in 2011 to 108,000 in 2016, with an added 19,500 self-employed and research estimates the creation of 20,000 new jobs by 2020.

The number of UK textiles & apparel manufacturing businesses has increased annually from 7190 in 2013 to 8075 in 2017 with forecast of further growth.

Textiles goods exported across the globe continues to grow with export increases recorded at £250M in March 2016 to £273M in March 2017
UK Fashion & textiles manufacture covers traditional craft to technical textiles and has a production value of £9.1 BN, add the wide fashion sector this increases to £28.1BN sector – 4.7% of the total UK economy.

For further information go to: https://ukft.org

Where can you find job vacancies?

Vacancies are advertised across the UK with concentration in the Northwest, Yorkshire, Scotland and the Midlands. This role may be found under a different job title such as Textile Operative or Textile Manufacturer. Check out the latest vacancies sites below:

Indeed
Total Jobs
Reed
Drapers Jobs

Apprenticeship Vacancies:

Some apprenticeship vacancies are ‘open to application’. With details on how to apply within the job vacancy details, these can be found on the job sites listed above. Apprenticeship vacancies can also be found via the Find an Apprenticeship’ Service. For further information, advise and tips on how to apply for an apprenticeship vacancy see the UCAS site.

www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales)
www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk (England)

The websites above are external and the number of job vacancies may vary. Check daily to see new opportunities as they are posted!