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Technical textiles designer
Textile technical specialist, analytical textiles technologist
Technical textiles designers research, create and test textiles for use in healthcare, manufacturing and construction materials.
Average salary (a year)
£22000
Starter
£40000
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
35.0 to 40.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
between 8am and 6pm
flexibly
How to become
Explore the different ways to get into this role
You can get into this job through:a university course; an apprenticeship; working towards this role
University
You can do a degree or postgraduate qualification in
textile design, materials science, textile technology, product design
It's important that you check courses cover the technical skills and knowledge employers want, rather than ones that concentrate only on fashion design.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
Apprenticeship
You may be able to gain some of the skills and knowledge relevant to this role through a textile technical specialist higher apprenticeship or a fashion and textiles product technologist higher apprenticeship.
With experience you may be able to move into trainee technical design roles.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
higher and degree apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-and-degree-apprenticeships
Work
You can start as a textiles or materials technician and do further training on the job to specialise in technical fabrics research and development.
More Information
Further Information
You can find out more about careers and training in textile design from The Textile Institute.
You can find out more about creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
What it takes
Find out what skills you’ll use in this role
Skills and knowledge
You'll need:
    Design skills and knowledge
    Knowledge of engineering science and technology
    The ability to come up with new ways of doing things
    To be thorough and pay attention to detail
    Analytical thinking skills
    Complex problem-solving skills
    The ability to work on your own
    Knowledge of manufacturing production and processes
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
What you will do
Discover the day-to-day tasks you’ll do in this role
Day to day tasks
In this role you may
develop ideas for products to meet particular performance standards, identify the suitability and availability of materials, create designs using computer software, develop prototypes, assess the technical performance of textiles, record and interpret test results, write technical reports and estimate costs, research new development methods and technologies
Working environment
You could work in a laboratory or in a factory.
You may need to wear safety clothing and use safety equipment.
Career Path & Progression
Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities
You could work in a research department for a university or company that specialises in technical textiles, for example carbon fibre or graphene.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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