Clothing Patternmakers

ANZSCO ID 393212

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
450
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
61%
Female Share
84%
Average age
49

Summary

Clothing Patternmakers draw sets of master patterns following sketches, sample articles and design specifications, and cut out patterns for garments.

Specialisations: Pattern Grader (Clothing), Patternmaker-Grader.

A certificate III, IV or diploma in clothing production or applied fashion design and technology is usually needed to work as a Clothing Patternmaker. Some workers complete a traineeship.

Tasks

  • Confers with customers to determine material, styles and designs of garments.

  • Interprets designs, sketches and samples to determine pattern specifications.

  • Cuts out master patterns.

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Creative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Clothing Trades Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 61% of people employed as Clothing Patternmakers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 5 percentage points below the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 42 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
53.2%
2
Retail Trade
18.2%
3
Wholesale Trade
8.6%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
3.5%
5
Other industries
2.9%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

45.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

36.0% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

8.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

3.3% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

5.6% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Clothing Patternmakers All Jobs Average
NSW 45.6 31.6
VIC 36.0 25.6
QLD 8.9 20.0
SA 3.3 7.0
WA 5.6 10.8
TAS 0.7 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 0.0 1.9


  • Around 88% of Clothing Patternmakers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales and Victoria have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
49
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
84%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Clothing Patternmakers is 49 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.

    Females make up 84% of the workforce. This is 36 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Clothing Patternmakers All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 2.7 9.3
25-34 16.0 22.9
35-44 18.0 22.0
45-54 35.7 21.6
55-59 15.1 9.0
60-64 6.7 6.0
65 and Over 6.0 4.2
Median Age 49 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III, IV or diploma in clothing production or applied fashion design and technology is usually needed to work as a Clothing Patternmaker. Some workers complete a traineeship.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Textiles, Clothing & Footwear VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Clothing Patternmakers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 1.8 10.1
Bachelor degree 18.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 40.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 24.5 21.1
Year 12 8.0 18.1
Year 11 0.8 4.8
Year 10 and below 6.8 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Clothing Trades Workers who are hardworking, reliable and work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 48%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 48%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 46%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 46%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 45%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 41%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 39%

    Operations analysis

    Understanding needs and product requirements to create a design.

  • 39%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 39%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 63%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 57%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 57%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 52%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 50%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 45%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 43%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 43%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 41%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 40%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 26%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 25%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 23%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 22%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 21%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 18%

    Sociology and anthropology

    Group behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.

  • 18%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 15%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 14%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 12%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 61%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 54%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 54%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 54%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 52%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 52%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 50%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 48%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 46%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 45%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

  • 45%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 65%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 63%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 63%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 62%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 61%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 61%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 58%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 58%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 55%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 50%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 47%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 47%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 47%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 46%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 46%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 45%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 44%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 43%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 41%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 39%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 81%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 67%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 57%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 57%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 52%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 52%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 48%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 33%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 96%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 94%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 91%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 90%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 85%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 85%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 84%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 84%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 81%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 81%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 79%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 76%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 73%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 73%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 70%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 69%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 66%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 65%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 63%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-6092.00 - Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers.


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