Entry Requirements: English and Mathematics GCSE at Grade C or above or equivalent functional skills are expected on entry.
English and Mathematics at Level 2 must be achieved. For those with an education, health and care plan or a legacy statement the apprenticeships English and Maths minimum requirement is Entry Level 3. British Sign Language qualifications are an alternative to English qualifications for those whom this is their primary language.
Total length of course: 18 months (excluding EPA period)
Practical / On-programme phase: 20% of their duration.
Pathway one: Product Development
The Level 3 Diploma for Fashion Studio Assistant has been designed to provide learners with the skills, knowledge and understanding necessary to work within the fashion industry, with a specific focus on working within a fashion studio
Total length of course: 22 months
Practical / On-programme phase: 18 Months
- Typical duration to gateway is 18 months
End Point Assessment (EPA) Period: 4 months
- The EPA must be completed within a 4 month period after the apprentice has met the EPA gateway requirements.
The apprentice must remain employed by their apprenticeship employer throughout the End Point Assessment stage (EPA).
Off the Job learning: 20% off the Job (OTJ) Guided Learning Hours (GLH)
Off-the-job training is defined as learning which is undertaken outside of day-to-day work duties and leads towards the achievement of the apprenticeship. This training takes place within the apprentice’s normal (contracted) working hours.
Overview: Britain is world renowned for our creativity and design talent. British designers capture the mood of the moment, cascading it into the high street, creating a multi-billion pound industry. The direct value of the UK fashion industry to the UK economy is £26 billion. Fashion’s total contribution to the economy is estimated to have risen to over £46 billion in 2014.
The key to creating further growth in the fashion industry is to professionalise and offer better career paths throughout the industry, not just in design talent. This apprenticeship will deliver specific skills that will ultimately contribute to all levels of a fashion business, developing leaders and teams to work alongside our design talent, as well as making Britain the best place to incubate a new business from initial excitement to commercial sustainability.
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 focussed 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.
On successful completion of the Apprenticeship Standard, a Fashion Studio Assistant would possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours:
| FOUNDATION CORE
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| Knowledge | ||
| THE DESIGNER FASHION INDUSTRY AND THE YEARLY CYCLE | What it looks like, how it works. Understanding of the seasonal cycle. Understanding of a product journey: conception, design, sample, sales, delivery, in store, marketing, PR. | |
| CRITICAL PATH | Understanding of the basic business cycle: cash flow, buying, producing, shipping, budgeting. How the different departments are involved in the creation and selling of a collection.
Understanding of how a collection is brought together, how a Critical Path is created and followed. |
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| STUDIO WORK PLACE | Working as part of a wide team. Understanding of health and safety issues.
Awareness of how different departments contribute to a company’s goals. |
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| TIME MANAGEMENT | Able to work to a strict deadline, and to deal with simple project management. | |
| Skills | ||
| COMMUNICATION | Communication skills both written and verbal. Professional emails, diary management. Working as part of a team.
Communicating with people internal and external to the organisation. Representing the organisation. |
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| OFFICE ADMIN | Basic invoicing or ordering, diary management, planning and preparation for meetings, admin and data entry. | |
| PATHWAY 1: PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION | ||
| Knowledge | ||
| STUDIO MANAGEMENT | Working in a studio team, dealing with designers, manufacturers, technical staff, suppliers, production team, freelancers and clients. | |
| MATERIALS | Basic understanding of different fabrics, yarns and trims, how they work, how they are priced, where they may be sourced from. Learning about ways to handle, cut and store materials. | |
| PATTERN KNOWLEDGE | Potential to learn about designer specific techniques, such as print, embroidery, knit, jacquard and leather work. | |
| GARMENT CONSTRUCTION | A basic understanding of pattern cutting and grading and the importance of fit.
How to take measurements and cost a garment. Awareness of how CAD/CAM may be part of the process.
Good basic knowledge of garment construction. Knowledge of the proto development stage, and the sealing of samples. Be able to cut and sew a toile. |
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| Skills | ||
| BUYING AND SOURCING | Researching or sourcing of fabric/components.
Placing orders and assistance with controlling inventory. Awareness of lead times and minimums for bulk ordering.
Consideration of ethical and environmental factors when working with suppliers and factories. |
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| PRODUCT MANAGEMENT | How to cost garments, ability to create a lay-plan and a bill of materials, how to enter information onto a product management system for use in sales and production. | |
| QUALITY CONTROL | Understanding of the importance of an accurate technical sheet for manufacturers. | |
| Able to quality control garments, fabrics or accessories. Good eye for detail, awareness of what to look for, how to report and communicate issues. How to prepare garments ready for sale or presentation: steaming, labelling, packing, storing. | ||
| CORE BEHAVIOURS for all pathways | |
| ADAPTABILITY | Able to work to strict deadlines and to cope with a work pace varying considerably throughout the year.
Ability to think on feet, be resourceful, and have a flexible attitude toward changes in work plans. |
| SELF MOTIVATION | Hardworking, able to work independently without supervision, hands on attitude and drive to succeed in a competitive environment.
Interested in self-development. |
| PROFESSONALISM | Shows maturity in coping with a fast paced, pressured environment.
Professional approach to job, and in dealings with other members of staff and external company contacts. |
| COURSE LINKS | |
| University for the Arts London (UAL) website link: | https://www.arts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/18124/web-ready-Level-3-and-4-Diploma-for-Fashion-Studio-Assistant-Pathway-1-Product-Development-specification-v6.pdf |
| Institute for Apprenticeships (IFATE) website link: | https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/apprenticeship-standards/fashion-studio-assistant-v1-0 |
| Skills & Education Group End Point Assessment website link: | https://skillsandeducationgroupawards.co.uk/epa/level-3-fashion-studio-assistant/ |
12 Units / Core & Optional Product Development
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Core Units:
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Optional Product Development Units: Understanding / Demonstrating / Applying
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Rules of Credit Combination
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Level |
Credit |
GLH |
TUT |
|
Foundation Core |
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Health & Safety in a Fashion Environment |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
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Professional Practice in a Fashion Environment |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
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Communication for the Fashion Industry |
3 |
3 |
30 |
60 |
|
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Introduction to the Fashion Industry |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
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Introduction to the Critical Path |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
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Administration for the Fashion Industry |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
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Optional Group 1 – Studio Management for the Fashion Industry |
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Understanding Studio Management |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
|
|
Demonstrating Studio Management |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
|
Applying Studio Management |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
|
|
Optional Group 2 – Materials Handling and Application |
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Understanding Materials |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
|
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Demonstrating Materials |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
|
Applying Materials |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
|
|
Optional Group 3 – Pattern Knowledge: Construction Techniques for Fashion Production |
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Understanding Pattern Construction Techniques |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
|
|
Demonstrating Pattern Construction Techniques |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
|
Applying Pattern Construction Techniques |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
|
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Optional Group 4 – Garment Construction Techniques for Fashion Production |
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Understanding Garment Construction Techniques |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
|
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Demonstrating Garment Construction Techniques |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
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Applying Garment Construction Techniques |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
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Optional Group 5 – Buying and Sourcing for the Fashion Industry |
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Understanding Buying and Sourcing |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
|
|
Demonstrating Buying and Sourcing |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
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Applying Buying and Sourcing |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
|
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Optional Group 6 – Product Management for the Fashion Industry |
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Understanding Product Management |
3 |
3 |
15 |
30 |
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Demonstrating Product Management |
3 |
6 |
30 |
60 |
|
|
Applying Product Management |
4 |
12 |
60 |
120 |
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Rules of Combination: Level 3 Pathway One – Product Development
To be awarded the Level 3 Diploma for Fashion Studio Assistant (Product Development), students must complete all units in the Foundation Core to make a total of 30 credits and at least one unit in each Optional Group to make a minimum of 36 credits.
This means, at a minimum, all students must take the below from the Optional Units, to make a total of 36 credits.
- Two 3-credit units
- Three 6-credit units
- One 12-credit unit
The student, provider and employer will assess the student’s ability and opportunities within the workplace to achieve the learning outcomes in the 12-credit units.
Credit requirements in summary L3
- Foundational Core Units: 30 Credits
- Optional Units: 36 Credits
- Total Credits: 66 Credits