Creative and design

Craft assistant - Ceramicist

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Craft technicians make, service, restore and/or conserve individual hand-crafted items

Summary

This occupation is found in a range of settings including specialist craft or creative businesses, design studios, production workshops. These may include theatre, film, restoration and conservation businesses, training establishments, cultural institutions, heritage sites, corporate businesses, and the natural environment. Employers are typically known to be micro businesses and SMEs. However, craft technicians can occasionally be found in larger organisations in the public, private and charity sectors, for example producing theatres. Craft technicians may also be freelancers or operate as sole traders once their skills and experience are sufficient.

The broad purpose of the occupation is to make, service, restore, conserve or realise individual items, these may be handmade or hand produced. They can be achieved working with a range of materials such as textiles, modulable and rigid materials, paper, glass, clay etc. 

Craft technicians provide technical support to ensure new or existing items, are made or restored by hand. They are designed, developed, and created in line with company and client requirements. Increasingly, the integration of digital technologies across this sector will support production processes. While still retaining unique craft or skill qualities through hybrid manufactured and hand produced or handmade production.

Craft technicians must adhere to the organisation’s confidentiality requirements and understand basic copyrighting and intellectual property arrangements. Working with discretion, taking positive action in response to feedback, being solution focused, and maintaining awareness of the bigger picture. Including budget and broader resource constraints and environmental impacts and ways to reduce these, are essential to a craft technician approach.

This is a core and options apprenticeship standard. Apprentices will complete the core requirements, plus one option: 

1. Ceramicist 

2. Dye and print technician.  

A ceramicist designs and delivers hand-crafted products and do so for customers, clients, public or private collections or the built or natural environment. Ceramicists are sometimes responsible for creating component parts of a product that the master craftsperson would use to finish the product. 

Dye and print technicians undertake dyeing using a range of techniques, stencilling, screen printing and painting on a variety of materials. They may develop or match existing colour requirements or achieve a variety of effects. They work with articles or fabric which may include clothing, accessories, furniture. They work to designer briefs and undertake research to ensure exact and timely requirements are achieved. 

In their daily work, craft technicians are expected to work collaboratively. This may include other designers and craft or skilled practitioners, customers, clients, wider team members for example administrators, distributors, retailers, suppliers, and external stakeholders. Craft technicians work to agreed deadlines often as part of a team. However, they are expected to work with autonomy once sufficient skill and knowledge is obtained. Whilst training, a craft technician may work alongside, and under the instruction of, a skilled and experienced practitioner, sometimes known as a master craftsperson. 

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for effective client communication, demonstrating sound project management and project delivery skills. They will be capable in the processes, materials, and tools used to create the specified products of the business they are employed by.  Craft technicians will demonstrate a sound knowledge of sustainable practices including the sourcing, use, disposal, recycling and reuse of materials across their industry.

Craft technicians must maintain the workspace and its contents in line with the business’ standards and health and safety requirements. They might also assist with the storage and use of data, client and customer information, and ongoing ordering and control of stock.

Craft technicians would be expected to know how to work with a variety of customers and clients. They may also be expected to liaise with them throughout the making process to aid in any relevant item aftercare.

Typical job titles include

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs)

• Knowledge
• Skills
• Behaviours