Are you an employer working within a fashion studio? Could you help shape the future of the L3 Fashion Studio Assistant Apprenticeship?

The Level 3 Fashion Studio Assistant (FSA) Apprenticeship was developed in 2018 by the FSA Employer Trailblazer group, a committed group of employers chaired by a representative from Roksanda. In January 2019 the apprenticeship was fully approved and has since provided a funded apprenticeship pathway to the luxury fashion industry for new entrants, covering three specialisms Product Development, Sales Operations and Communication.

The apprenticeship has now been running for three years and must be reviewed to ensure content, assessment and delivery still reflect the needs of the industry. Feedback so far has been positive, with just a few amendments and additions identified by employers and apprentices that have taken part.

We are now inviting new Fashion Studio Assistant Employers and Training Providers to join the group and help update and shape the apprenticeship. To review the programme, we will follow the Apprenticeship and Technical Education (IfATE) review process which means the Trailblazer Group members will steer the changes and be actively involved in:

• Providing advice and guidance on content, policy and processes
• Attending trailblazer group meetings (maximum of three over a 12-month period, these may be remote)
• Providing feedback on drafted documents
• Supporting the final submission by providing a letter of support

To find out more, you are invited to a remote meeting on August 10 10.30am to 12 noon. Please email Celia Thornley if you are interested in attending: Celia.thornley@ukft.org. Group membership is limited so please let us know if you are interested by July 20th.

About a Fashion Studio Assistant

A Fashion Studio Assistant is a key position in the designer industry, working with the team that creates a collection. This apprenticeship will introduce candidates to the designer fashion industry, with experience gained in both the product and commercial sides of a brand. In a large company, this role would be more focussed on the studio, but in a smaller company this role may also be involved in many other areas of the business.

Busy, challenging, and exciting, the apprenticeship will encompass a wide variety of tasks, and will give a broad education in the reality of day-to-day life in a designer business. The apprenticeship starts in the heart of a designer business: The Studio, to learn about how a collection is created. It will then lead to 12 months in a more focused area of the business: Product development or Production, Sales and Operations, or Fashion Marketing and Communications. In order to go on to many roles in this diverse industry, a foundation in understanding how a collection is created, marketed and sold is invaluable.

For further detail on the FSA Apprenticeship go to: www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/fashion-studio-assistant-v1-0

For more information on the role of Employer Trailblazer groups follow the link: www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/developing-new-apprenticeships/trailblazer-group/

Please note: individuals interested in joining the trailblazer group are not required to take on an apprentice immediately. 

Interested?

Get in touch with Celia.thornley@ukft.org to get involved.