Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to sew panels or pieces of leather by hand. It involves a range of techniques, including stitching of seams, reinforcements, general repairs and new work, on a range of leather pieces.
Work may be conducted in small to large scale enterprises and may involve individual and team activities. Work is performed within industry codes, standards and defined procedures.
No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.
Elements and Performance Criteria
Elements describe the essential outcomes. | Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. | ||
1 | Determine job requirements | 1.1 | Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) |
1.2 | Comply with work health and safety (WHS) requirements at all times | ||
1.3 | Use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with SOPs | ||
1.4 | Identify job requirements from specifications, drawings, job sheets or work instructions | ||
2 | Prepare work pieces | 2.1 | Receive, check pieces and assess any follow-up action in accordance with workplace procedures, including quality checks |
2.2 | Assess quality of received component parts or pieces | ||
2.3 | Lay out work pieces in accordance with workplace procedures and specifications | ||
3 | Prepare workstation | 3.1 | Set up workbench and seating to achieve operator comfort and to minimise fatigue |
3.2 | Keep records in accordance with procedures | ||
3.3 | Select threads according to specifications | ||
3.4 | Check and change needle types as necessary | ||
3.5 | Determine stitch length and tension according to manufacturing schedule | ||
4 | Perform hand sewing | 4.1 | Select pieces according to size, colour and style |
4.2 | Sew seams by hand to achieve specified results and quality expectations | ||
4.3 | Trim threads, where required | ||
4.4 | Reinforce products according to style | ||
4.5 | Perform decorative hand stitching in accordance with specifications | ||
4.6 | Assess final quality check for hand sewing operation against specifications | ||
5 | Despatch completed work | 5.1 | Bundle, stack, store or despatch completed component parts, panels or pieces |
5.2 | Record production faults | ||
5.3 | Complete records | ||
Evidence of Performance
Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy the requirements of the elements and performance criteria, and include:
reading and following work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), safe work practices
interpreting specifications of needles, threads and materials, and setting up material for hand sewing
selecting pieces according to size, colour and style and determining thread and stitch length to meet specifications
performing hand sewing to sew seams using a variety of stitches to achieve specified results and quality expectations on at least five (5) samples
reinforcing products according to style
performing decorative hand stitching on at least three (3) samples in accordance with specifications
inspecting completed work to determine quality, identify faults and determine required action
despatching completed work and maintaining accurate records.
Evidence of Knowledge
Evidence must be provided that demonstrates knowledge of:
safe work practices and procedures and use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
relevant Australian Standards
principles and techniques of hand sewing, including various types of stitches used
range of needles, threads and associated tools used in hand sewing, and their appropriateness for particular applications
materials specifications and material sewing characteristics
relevant quality standards for hand sewing
work health and safety (WHS) and environmental requirements of relevant industry and workplace procedures
general housekeeping policies and procedures
relevant federal and state or territory legislative or regulatory requirements
recording and reporting procedures.
Assessment Conditions
Assessors must:
satisfy the assessor competency requirements that are in place at the time of the assessment, as set by the VET regulator
have vocational competency in sewing leather by hand, at least to the level being assessed, with relevant industry knowledge and experience.
Assessment should occur in operational workplace situations. Where this is not possible, or where personal safety or environmental damage are limiting factors, assessment must occur in a sufficiently rigorous simulated environment reflecting realistic operational workplace conditions. This must cover all aspects of workplace performance, including environment, task skills, task management skills, contingency management skills and job role environment skills.
Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.
Conditions for assessment must include access to all tools, equipment, materials and documentation required, including relevant workplace procedures, product and manufacturing specifications associated with this unit.
Foundation Skills
This section describes those required skills (language, literacy and numeracy) that are essential to performance.
Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.
Range Statement
This field allows for different work environments and conditions that may affect performance. Essential operating conditions that may be present (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) are included. | |
Workplace procedures include one or more of the following: | requirements prescribed by legislation, industry codes and standards, awards, agreements and conditions of employment SOPs work instructions oral, written and visual communication quality practices, including responsibility for maintenance of own work quality and contribution to quality improvement of team or section output housekeeping tasks related to environmental protection, waste disposal, pollution control and recycling WHS practices |
Australian Standards include: | the relevant industry or Australian Standards that are current at the time this unit is being undertaken |
Decorative hand stitching includes one or more of the following: | fancy and mock stitching cable stitching glove stitching top stitching |
WHS practices | WHS practices must include hazard identification and control, risk assessment and implementation of risk reduction measures specific to the tasks described by this unit, and include one or more of the following: manual handling techniques PPE safe materials handling ergonomic arrangement of workplaces following marked walkways safe storage of equipment housekeeping reporting accidents and incidents other WHS practices relevant to the job and enterprise |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Leather production