Labourers in textile processing and cutting
Career Overview
Labourers in textile processing:
- Perform a variety of manual duties to help process fibres into yarn or thread, or to help with weaving, knitting, bleaching, dyeing or finishing textile fabrics or other textile products
- Work for textile companies
Labourers in textile cutting:
- Cut fabric, fur or leather to make parts for garments, linens, shoes and other articles
- Work for clothing and textile manufacturers and other manufacturers of fabric products, such as leather and fur
Job Titles
Duties
Labourers in textile processing perform some or all of the following duties:
- Load and off-load machines
- Clean textile machines and work areas
- Push carts, trucks, or cans of fibres from one work area to another
- Help machine operators and other textile workers as needed
Fabric cutters:
- Place patterns on top of layers of fabric and cut fabric following patterns, using electric or manual knives, cutters or computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutting devices
- Adjust cutting technique to type of fabric and style of garment
- May cut fabric samples
Fur cutters:
- Cut fur skins in diagonal strips to specified length and shape of pelt using furrier's knives and cutters
- Number pelts to indicate their location on pattern
- May sort or match skins
- May prepare fur samples
Leather cutters:
- Select leather and cutting dies for leather goods and shoe parts according to specifications
- Position leather on cutting bed of machine, maximizing usage according to skin grain, skin flaws and skin stretch
- Operate clicker or punch press to stretch leather
- Run machine to cut leather or cut single leather skins by hand to make leather products
- May cut leather samples
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
530% Employed Full Time
42%Key aspects of the work in this occupation:
- Work takes place in a regular controlled indoor environment.
- Working with equipment, instruments, machinery or power/hand tools can be a source of injury.
- The workplace may contain airborne particles such as textile dust, fur, flour, sand, sawdust and feathers.
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
There is little movement among the different kinds of cutters in this unit group.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Some secondary school education is usually required
- Experience as a fabric, fur or leather cutter is required for fabric, fur or leather sample cutters
- Some on-the-job training is provided for occupations in this group
- Several years of on-the-job training are provided for fur cutters
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Academic/Basic Upgrading
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
530Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | 1.9% |
| Kootenay | 10 | 1.9% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 470 | 89.5% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 0 | 0.0% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 25 | 4.8% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 15 | 2.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
230Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | Not available | Not available |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 220 | 1.4% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 0 | 0.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | Not available | Not available |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 100 |
| Retail Trade | 60 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 20 |
| Wholesale Trade | 20 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 20 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.