Leather Craftsperson

You’ll help produce leather or manufacture leather goods for several markets on a leather craftsperson apprenticeship course.

A leather craftsperson designs or produces leather goods for many markets, including equestrian riding, golf, cricket, and luxury items like handbags, luggage, and lifestyle accessories. A leather craftsperson’s profession is to work in a small firm developing or manufacturing specialist leather and goods or in a factory as part of a production team generating larger orders.

This apprenticeship is designed to give a wide range of skills and knowledge suitable to both leather manufacturing and leather item manufacture. The former comprises changing raw skin and hides into leather suited for various chemical and mechanical processing functions.

The latter comprises taking leather and making it into a finished product, which often necessitates using methods like stitching and cutting. Thus, whatever approach the employer uses, you will be familiarised with and understand the whole process of how leather is made and the production techniques required to generate a final leather product.

What you’ll learn

On a leather craftsperson apprenticeship course, you’ll learn to:

• Use equipment following safe operating procedures and the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Determine and use the appropriate tools and equipment, such as a moisture content testing metre, a thickness measuring gauge, trimming knives and shears, edge tools, a pricking iron, a skiving machine, and a bench splitter.
• Execute running maintenance following agreed-upon schedules to ensure the efficiency of machinery, tools, and equipment (i.e. tool settings and preparation) to meet production needs.
• Follow the criteria to meet the requirements of both the customer and the company.
• Utilise resources efficiently and effectively by paying close attention to instructions and minimising waste.
• Implement systems to guarantee that the company’s speed and quality requirements are consistently satisfied.
• Communicate well with internal/external customers, colleagues, and bosses and work as part of a team.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• Depending on the employer, but likely GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience.
• Apprentices without level 2 English and maths will need to achieve this level before taking the end-point assessment.

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment consists of two distinct assessment methods: 

• Multiple Choice Test (MCT)
• Observation and Questioning (OQ) 

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 2 Leather Craftsperson Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.