This occupation is found in a range of settings including specialist craft or creative businesses, design studios, production workshops. These may include theatre, film, restoration and conservation businesses, training establishments, cultural institutions, heritage sites, corporate businesses, and the natural environment. Employers are typically known to be micro businesses and SMEs. However, craft technicians can occasionally be found in larger organisations in the public, private and charity sectors, for example producing theatres. Craft technicians may also be freelancers or operate as sole traders once their skills and experience are sufficient.
The broad purpose of the occupation is to make, service, restore, conserve or realise individual items, these may be handmade or hand produced. They can be achieved working with a range of materials such as textiles, modulable and rigid materials, paper, glass, clay etc.
Craft technicians provide technical support to ensure new or existing items, are made or restored by hand. They are designed, developed, and created in line with company and client requirements. Increasingly, the integration of digital technologies across this sector will support production processes. While still retaining unique craft or skill qualities through hybrid manufactured and hand produced or handmade production.
Craft technicians must adhere to the organisation’s confidentiality requirements and understand basic copyrighting and intellectual property arrangements. Working with discretion, taking positive action in response to feedback, being solution focused, and maintaining awareness of the bigger picture. Including budget and broader resource constraints and environmental impacts and ways to reduce these, are essential to a craft technician approach.
This is a core and options apprenticeship standard. Apprentices will complete the core requirements, plus one option:
1. Ceramicist
2. Dye and print technician.
A ceramicist designs and delivers hand-crafted products and do so for customers, clients, public or private collections or the built or natural environment. Ceramicists are sometimes responsible for creating component parts of a product that the master craftsperson would use to finish the product.
Dye and print technicians undertake dyeing using a range of techniques, stencilling, screen printing and painting on a variety of materials. They may develop or match existing colour requirements or achieve a variety of effects. They work with articles or fabric which may include clothing, accessories, furniture. They work to designer briefs and undertake research to ensure exact and timely requirements are achieved.
In their daily work, craft technicians are expected to work collaboratively. This may include other designers and craft or skilled practitioners, customers, clients, wider team members for example administrators, distributors, retailers, suppliers, and external stakeholders. Craft technicians work to agreed deadlines often as part of a team. However, they are expected to work with autonomy once sufficient skill and knowledge is obtained. Whilst training, a craft technician may work alongside, and under the instruction of, a skilled and experienced practitioner, sometimes known as a master craftsperson.
An employee in this occupation will be responsible for effective client communication, demonstrating sound project management and project delivery skills. They will be capable in the processes, materials, and tools used to create the specified products of the business they are employed by. Craft technicians will demonstrate a sound knowledge of sustainable practices including the sourcing, use, disposal, recycling and reuse of materials across their industry.
Craft technicians must maintain the workspace and its contents in line with the business’ standards and health and safety requirements. They might also assist with the storage and use of data, client and customer information, and ongoing ordering and control of stock.
Craft technicians would be expected to know how to work with a variety of customers and clients. They may also be expected to liaise with them throughout the making process to aid in any relevant item aftercare.
| Duty | KSBs |
|---|---|
| Duty 1 Make products or component parts of products by hand in line with the settings quality standards, confidentiality policies and intellectual property requirements. |
K1
K2
K8
K18
K22
S1
S3
S5
S13
S16
B1
B2
B4
B5
|
| Duty 2 Utilise technology as an enabler to handmake or hand produce items within social, cultural, economic, technological and environmental contexts impacting your chosen specialism. |
K1
K2
K3
K4
K5
K6
K7
K14
K21
S2
S3
S5
B1
B2
B4
B5
|
| Duty 3 Follow agreed plans, designs or brief to aid the successful creation of a specified handmade or hand produced products within time and cost constraints. |
K7
K9
S7
S9
S12
B4
|
| Duty 4 Maintain equipment and the workspace, and store tools in line with the settings standards and health and safety requirements. |
K8
K10
K12
K21
S4
S5
S6
B1
|
| Duty 5 Research and develop sustainable production techniques, processes and the use of recycled and sustainable materials |
K7
K20
S3
B2
B5
|
| Duty 6 Manage expectations by maintaining regular communication and delivering effective project management, budget tracking, troubleshooting, project delivery and timekeeping. |
K9
K13
K16
K17
S7
S8
S9
S11
B3
B4
B6
|
| Duty 7 Order or recommend materials and tools in line with the settings procurement policies and processes. Following stock management procedures as needed to achieve value for money. |
K10
K11
K12
K17
S8
S10
S11
|
| Duty 8 Record and control materials, items, stock, products and suitably store these to maintain their fitness for use. |
K10
K12
S4
S10
B1
|
| Duty 9 Utilise technology to communicate, market and sell handmade or hand produced items effectively. |
K14
K15
K17
K19
S11
B3
B6
|
| Duty 10 Provide excellent and inclusive service and relationship management to a diverse range of customers, creative teams, clients and colleagues. |
K9
K13
K16
K17
S11
B3
B6
|
| Duty 11 Package present or handover products in line with the settings standards, procedures an customer, client or colleague requirements. |
K15
K19
K20
S12
S14
B3
B6
|
| Duty | KSBs |
|---|---|
| Duty 16 Assist with sampling and preparing to dye fabric, shoes and accessories. Paying particular attention to colour matching, in accordance with the requirements of the brief. |
K34
K35
K36
K39
S22
S23
S27
S29
|
| Duty 17 Carry out dyeing, stencilling, screen printing and painting to achieve a high-quality finish. Using a variety of material in accordance with the requirements of the brief. |
K37
K38
K39
K40
K41
K42
S28
S30
S32
|
| Duty 18 Break down material, textiles or accessories to achieve a variety of effects as required by the brief. |
K43
K44
S26
S31
|
| Duty 19 Assist with the planning process from receiving the original design concept to delivery of the end product. |
K45
S24
S25
S33
|
K1: Creative or craft industry: the impact on places, communities, and society, and importance to individuals.
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K2: Key technological developments in the history of your chosen specialism.
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K3: The financial environment of the creative or craft sector: external factors impacting it, the economic contribution the specialism makes.
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K4: The different types of creative or craft businesses, support organisations and professional networks.
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K5: Creative or craft industry income streams. Such as public and private subsidy, teaching, community outreach, and product sales.
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K6: Support that craft technicians can provide in creative or craft and well-being settings. Such as schools, hospitals, residential care homes, community outreach projects, historical sites and workplaces.
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K7: The environmental impact of your chosen specialism. The steps being taken by craft technicians and businesses to operate in a more environmentally sustainable way. Such as sourcing of materials, sustainable production and distribution processes.
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K8: The types of hand and machine operated tools used by craft technicians within your chosen specialism. The products or materials they are typically used for.
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K9: The project lifecycle: the design brief or specification. Factors that aid project success: customer and client liaison, team working, budget management, project mapping (production scheduling) and problem solving.
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K10: Stock management and recording systems.
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K11: Types of suppliers. Supplier research and sourcing methods. Supplier choice factors: financial competitiveness, environmental sustainability, and quality.
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K12: Storage for tools, materials and products.
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K13: Stakeholder management key principles.
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K14: How digital tools and technology may be used to support productivity and delivery: CAD (computer-aided design) and 3D printing.
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K15: The different routes to market such as physical retail, online retail, online portfolio, commissions, selling events (markets and fairs), social media, galleries and exhibitions, open studios and catalogues.
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K16: Communication techniques: verbal, written, and digital; use industry terminology.
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K17: Communication channels: specialist networking, social media, press, open studios, web
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K18: Fundamentals that apply to copyrighting and intellectual property and how to protect craft items from external exploitation.
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K19: Quality assurance, inspection, and sampling methods.
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K20: The properties, environmental impact, and benefits of eco-friendly or recycled materials used in packing.
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K21: Health and Safety; regulations. Including the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH), Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER). The Health and Safety At Work Act (HASAWA), the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR), and manual handling as applicable to your chosen specialism.
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K22: Design principles such as line, texture, size, shape, form, colour, volume, proportion
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K34: The types of dyes used, their properties, and suitability for use in combination with fabrics such as silks, cottons, nylons, wools, polyester, viscose.
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K35: Colour matching using colour classification and colour theory.
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K36: Composition and characteristics of different fabrics how to prepare them for dyeing.
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K37: Fabric dyeing techniques such as patch dyeing, ombre, resist, bleaching and tie dye.
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K38: Methods of finishing such heat pressing or varnishing.
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K39: Methods of fixing dyes and the use of dye fixing agents such as salt or soda ash.
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K40: Application techniques such as hand painting, spraying, block printing, screen printing, textile effects.
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K41: Principles of textile printing both digitally and by hand such as pattern matching or placement printing.
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K42: How to use digital graphic editors to prepare artwork for printing.
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K43: Techniques to create visual narrative such as imagery, patterns, design, painting distressing, breakdown, creation of wounds, blood and other special effects.
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K44: Read garment patterns and translate shapes from flat pieces to a three-dimensional form.
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K45: Plan and manage a dye bath in a sustainable and cost-effective way, such as recycling water and dye sequence.
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S1: Select and use tools and equipment.
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S2: Use technology as an enabler to make hand-crafted items, models or prototypes.
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S3: Identify sustainable techniques to make handmade or hand- produced items.
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S4: Store tools and materials, ensuring they are protected from damage when not in use.
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S5: Follow health and safety procedures.
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S6: Clean, maintain and prepare the craft workspace or workshop.
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S7: The roles, responsibilities and interdependencies of different parties in a project and your role within this.
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S8: Identify costs. Deploy controls to enable effective budget management.
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S9: Manage projects on time and budget. Maintain reputational standards and mitigate legal risks.
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S10: Conduct stock control and liaise with suppliers.
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S11: Communicate with stakeholders, colleagues or customers.
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S12: Follow quality assurance procedures.
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S13: Apply design principles to the making or production of items, in line with the brief such as shape, size, proportion, colour and finish.
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S14: Select packaging for craft items to protect them whilst in transit. Present items as per the organisation’s or client or customer needs.
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S16: Use specialist tools and equipment required for specific purposes.
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S22: Mix dyes, paints and pigments to colour match to a sample.
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S23: Dye selected fabric swatches, to produce colour samples matched to a design brief.
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S24: Manage the dye baths in an efficient and sustainable way.
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S25: Plan and work through a schedule of items to be dyed.
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S26: Select and apply the dye method required to create the effect in the design brief.
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S27: Select and use the dye type according to the fibre content and, composition of chosen fabric.
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S28: Apply techniques such as hand painting, spraying, block printing, screen printing and textile effects.
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S29: Use image editing technology to create artwork for printing.
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S30: Use finishing and fixing techniques to complete the dye process.
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S31: Apply special effects techniques such as distressing, breakdown, ageing, wounds or blood effects.
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S32: Paint, print or dye a textile design on flat pattern pieces.
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S33: Record dye recipes and log information related to the dyeing process such as the order of processes.
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B1: Puts safety first.
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B2: Keeps up to date with new technologies and industry best practice.
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B3: Acts in a way that builds and maintains positive relationships with colleagues and others.
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B4: Takes ownership of work.
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B5: Sources solutions and seeks to continuously improve and develop.
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B6: Acts in a professional and ethical manner, embracing equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
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