Footwear Production Apprenticeship

Summary

Love footwear? Passionate about making things? Join Dr. Martens' 15-month Apprenticeship! Learn footwear production from start to finish, including the unique Dr Martens manufacturing process. Gain comprehensive on-the-job and college training, a qualification and daily activities including clicking, closing, lasting, and shoe room tasks.

Annual wage

£23,281 a year

Minimum wage rates (opens in new tab)

Bonus potential, welcome to the family free pair of docs, 65% discount, 2 x volunteer/charity days, 5% matched pension, 4 x salary life assurance (pension scheme members), private medical cover

Training course

Footwear manufacturer (level 2)

Hours

Monday - Thursday: 7.00am - 4.00pm. Friday: 7.00am - 12.00pm (breaks to be confirmed).

39 hours a week

Possible start date

Monday 1 September

Duration

1 Year 3 Months

Positions available

4

Work

As an apprentice, you’ll work at a company and get hands-on experience. You’ll gain new skills and work alongside experienced staff.

What you’ll do at work

Footwear manufacturing is a highly skilled and respected trade. As an apprentice, you will be working alongside the production team at our Made in England Factory, Wollaston, Northamptonshire, where our iconic 1460 boot was born. You will learn the footwear production process from start to finish, daily activities will include:

Clicking: operating cutting presses to specified quality standards, minimising wastage of skins and using innovative leather scanning and digital cutting technology
Closing: creating Dr. Martens uppers using a variety of sewing machines and other specialist machinery
Lasting: shaping the shoe around a last and attaching the sole to our famous yellow stitched welt
Shoe room: adding the final touches - lacing, cleaning, and boxing ready for dispatch

Where you’ll work

Airwair International Ltd

Cobbs Lane

Wollaston

WELLINGBOROUGH

NN29 7SW

Training

An apprenticeship includes regular training with a college or other training organisation. At least 20% of your working hours will be spent training or studying.

College or training organisation

NORTHAMPTON COLLEGE

Your training course

Footwear manufacturer (level 2)

Equal to GCSE

Course contents

Safely selecting, using, maintaining and storing equipment, materials and associated components (parts of the footwear product).

Minimising hazards and risks in the workplace through safe working practices.

Follow and maintain work procedures to ensure safety requirements are met.

Cutting materials, primarily leather, around patterns supplied by the employer. This process can be by hand or machine / laser (clicking).

Skiving (thinning the material to allow a flat seam), then closing (hand stitching or machining of uppers, which is the top part of the footwear).

Formation of the footwear (lasting) by stretching the upper over the last, which is a plastic or wooden foot mould.

Attaching the sole, which might be cemented (glued), or stitched to the upper.

Attaching the heel and welt (the strip between sole and upper) where used.

Finish the shoe, e.g. polishing techniques, insertion of insole, lacing and final touches.

Inspect for quality to company specification.

Pack to company specification.

Perform routine maintenance to ensure the efficiency of machinery, tools and equipment (i.e. settings and preparation of tools) to meet production expectations.

Identify the correct materials and components and use appropriately.

Prepare and quality check (for faults) materials and components.

Report faults in materials and components to the supervisor or manager.

Read and interpret data from specifications and appropriate work instructions.

Follow instructions in order to meet customer and company requirements.

Implement efficient and effective use of materials by closely following instructions and minimising waste.

Undertake processes to consistent speed and quality requirements as outlined by the company.

Your training plan

The Apprenticeship runs for 15 months in our Made in England factory. You will learn everything to do with Dr. Martens footwear manufacturing as well as aspects such as the tanning process, sizing, other footwear constructions and health and safety.

We are closely connected with Northampton College, where you will study and learn throughout the year, as well as with other companies in the footwear industry around Northamptonshire.

Your study programme will require you to attend Northampton College two days per month.

Following successful completion of your Apprenticeship, you’ll receive a government accredited qualification in Footwear Manufacturing - Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship in Footwear.

Requirements

Essential qualifications

GCSE or equivalent in:

Maths and English (grade 4 or above)

Let the company know about other relevant qualifications and industry experience you have. They can adjust the apprenticeship to reflect what you already know.

Skills

Team working
Creative
Initiative
Non judgemental
Patience
Eye for detail
Good communicator
Problem solving

Other requirements

Our apprentices are brand ambassadors, involved in the running of the Dr Martens Apprenticeship Instagram account: drmartens_apprenticeship.

About this company

Dr. Martens have always stood with those who dare to be different. We have the respect of big-name fashion giants – think Rick Owens and Comme des Garcons – enabling us to engage in exciting partnerships season after season. We want to mean something to everyone who laces up our boots: from the first timers to the Docs veterans. We need ambitious, passionate people – with rebel fire in their hearts.

http://www.drmartens.com (opens in new tab)

After this apprenticeship

For graduate apprentices, there's the potential for a permanent position in the factory, where you will develop and hone your craft while continuing to learn new skills alongside former apprentices.

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