Leather goods machine operator

Description

Leather goods machine operators tend specific machines in the industrial production of leather goods products. They operate machinery for cutting, closing, and finishing luggage, handbags, saddlery and harness products. They also perform routine maintenance of the machinery.

Other titles

The following job titles also refer to leather goods machine operator:

leather sewing machine operator
leather production worker
leather production machine operator
leather products machine operator
leather products machine tender
leather products machinist
leather production machinist

Minimum qualifications

A high school diploma is generally the minimum required to work as a leather goods machine operator.

ISCO skill level

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

  • the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
  • the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
  • the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Leather goods machine operator is a Skill level 2 occupation.

Leather goods machine operator career path

Similar occupations

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to leather goods machine operator.

leather goods finishing operator
leather goods stitching machine operator
leather goods hand stitcher
leather goods packing operator
leather goods maintenance technician

Long term prospects

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of leather goods machine operator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of leather goods machine operator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

leather goods quality control laboratory technician
leather goods manufacturing technician
leather goods quality technician
leather goods product developer
leather goods production supervisor

Essential knowledge and skills

Essential knowledge

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of leather goods machine operator.

  • Leather goods manufacturing processes: The processes, technology and machinery involved in the leather goods manufacturing.
  • Leather goods components: The various procedures and methods in the processing of leather materials and leather goods components like manufacturability and properties.  
  • Leather goods quality: The quality specifications of materials, processes, and final products, the most common defects in leather, quick tests procedures, laboratory tests procedures and standards, and the adequate equipment for quality checks. 
  • Functionalities of machinery: The machinery and equipment used and, in particular, the characteristics regarding functioning and calibration to ensure compliance with quality and product specifications, as well as the operator’s safety.
  • Ergonomics in footwear and leather goods design: The principles used in the design of various styles of footwear and leather goods for the correct anatomic and ergonomic proportions and measurements.
  • Leather goods materials: The wide range of materials used in leather goods production: leather, leather substitutes (synthetics or artificial materials), textile, etc; the way of distinguishing among various materials based on their properties, advantages and limitations.

Essential skills and competences

These skills are necessary for the role of leather goods machine operator.

  • Maintain equipment: Regularly inspect and perform all required activities to maintain the equipment in functional order prior or after its use.
  • Adapt to changing situations: Change approach to situations based on unexpected and sudden changes in people’s needs and mood or in trends; shift strategies, improvise and naturally adapt to those circumstances.
  • Use communication techniques: Apply techniques of communication which allow interlocutors to better understand each other and communicate accurately in the transmission of messages.
  • Follow work procedures: Adhere to procedures at work in a structured and systematic manner.
  • Work as a team: Cooperate with colleagues in order to ensure that operations run effectively.
  • Ensure equipment maintenance: Ensure that the equipment required for operations is regularly checked for faults, that routine maintenance tasks are performed, and that repairs are scheduled and performed in the case of damage or flaws.
  • Execute working instructions: Understand, interpret and properly apply work instructions regarding different tasks in the workplace.
  • Identify with the company’s goals: Act for the benefit of the company and for the achievement of its targets.

Optional knowledge and skills

Optional knowledge

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of leather goods machine operator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Optional skills and competences

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of leather goods machine operator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

  • Prepare leather goods samples: Create, test and verify prototypes or samples of leather goods against a predefined set of criteria throughout all stages of the manufacturing process. Revise the initial design concepts and implement technical improvements.
  • Practice innovative thinking in the footwear and leather goods industries: Innovate in the footwear and leather goods sector. Evaluate new ideas and concepts to turn them into marketable products. Use entrepreneurial thinking in all stages of the product and process development to identify new business opportunities for the targeted markets.
  • Apply basic rules of maintenance to leather goods and footwear machinery: Apply basic rules of maintenance and cleanliness on footwear and leather goods production equipment and machines that you operate.
  • Operate automatic cutting systems for footwear and leather goods: Work with the equipment’s software. Digitise and mark the leather areas with faults in order to avoid them. Establish nesting and cutting restrictions for each pattern. Pick up, sort, upload patterns, check and complete cutting orders. Adjust the machines and equipment parameters and perform simple procedures for maintenance.
  • Perform packing of footwear and leather goods: Perform packing and expedition of footwear and leather goods. Perform a final inspection, pack, label, store the orders in the warehouse.
  • Apply footwear and leather goods quality control techniques: Apply quality control in footwear and leather goods. Analyse the material, component or model using relevant quality criteria. Compare the material and other components received from the suppliers, or the final product, to standards. Use visual observation and report findings. Control the quantity of leather in the warehouse. Submit components to laboratory control test when necessary. Define the corrective measures when called for.
  • Apply machine cutting techniques for footwear and leather goods: Adjust and establish the machine technical operating parameters for cutting footwear and leather goods. Check and select the cutting dies, classification of the cut pieces against cutting restrictions, specifications and quality requirements. Check and complete the cutting orders. Perform simple procedures for maintenance of machines.
  • Apply methods for footwear and leather goods manufacturing: Produce technical specifications such as drawings, cards, and sheets for the stages of the production of footwear and leather goods. Analyse the technical sheets, defining the working methods. List the operation sequences and distribute the work for the manufacturing of each model.
  • Detect product defects: Report in case the product arrives with a defect from previous processes. Understand the type of defect and send it to the right person.
  • Reduce environmental impact of footwear manufacturing: Assess the environmental impact of footwear manufacture and minimise environmental risks. Reduce environmentally harmful work practices in different stages of the footwear manufacturing.
  • Identify defects on raw hides: Analyse, identify and evaluate the possible defects present on raw hides/skins. Defects may be of natural origin, caused by bad practices at the farm, in transport, at the abattoir or generated during the manufacturing process.
  • Perform laboratory tests on footwear or leather goods: Perform laboratory quality control tests on footwear, leather goods or its materials or components following national and international standards. Prepare samples and procedures. Analyse and interpret tests results and produced reports. Cooperate with outsourced laboratories.
  • Measure working time in footwear and leather goods production: Calculate and establish operative times in goods manufacturing using various method and techniques. Control the production timings, comparing with estimates.
  • Apply pre-stitching techniques: Apply pre-stitching techniques to footwear and leather goods in order to reduce thickness, to reinforce, to mark the pieces, to decorate or to reinforce their edges or surfaces. Be able to operate various machinery for splitting, skiving, folding, stitch marking, stamping, press punching, perforating, embossing, gluing, uppers pre-forming, crimping etc. Be able to adjust the working parameters of the machinery.

ISCO group and title

8156 – Shoemaking and related machine operators


References
  1. Leather goods machine operator – ESCO
Last updated on August 3, 2022

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