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Textile operatives spin natural and synthetic materials into yarns and fabrics for use in clothing, furnishings and industrial products.
You could work: between 8am and 6pm; on shifts
As a textile operative, you could:
You could work in a factory or in a workshop.
Your working environment may be noisy.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course, which may help when you start looking for work.
Courses include:
You could do a Textile Manufacturing Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship with a textiles production company.
This can take between 1 and 2 years to complete and combines on-the-job training and time spent with a learning provider.
You'll usually need:
You can apply directly for textile operative roles.
Though not essential, it could be useful to have experience in:
You could do short courses at an adult education centre or online to learn about the properties of different textiles and fabrics.
You can discover more about careers in textiles from UKFT Futures.
You could move into a machine maintenance job or quality control after further training.
With experience, you could get promoted to a production supervisor then shift manager.