Alex Rank, Camira Fabrics
I work at Camira Fabrics as a warp preparation technician. This entails replacing the warps in the looms as they have been woven out. This can be done in 2 ways.
- If the new warp matches the original, then the new warp is ‘knotted’ to the old This ensures the machine downtime is kept to a minimum.
- If the new warp is different to the original, then the warp will have to be ‘drawn in’ or ‘healded’ into a set of frames known as gears. This requires the loom to be emptied and the newly drawn in warp and gear set being lifted into the loom and set up ready for weaving to recommence. This method increases the downtime of the loom but enables new fabric designs to be woven.
I undertook a two-year apprenticeship and completed both NVQ Level 2 and 3 in Textile Manufacturing.
The apprenticeship I undertook was a physical hands on role and made me more experienced with working with my hands and other equipment. The best thing about it was job security and knowing I am always going to get a good wage every month. It has also improved my ability to work and achieve my goals. I am now on a full wage, working full time and learning more and more. It is going well and I am looking forward to seeing if I get the opportunity to progress into a higher qualified job.
My ambition now is to progress into a Tuning role that is more mechanical which is what I like. Once I have mastered Tuning I would like to move into a team leader and management role. In the future I would like to do more training, I would like to do a first aid course, a fire warden course as well as a Fork Lift Truck Course.
I like that Camira did not focus only on my school grades when they picked me for the apprenticeships in manufacturing. I am happy I was given a chance to work with hands on skills.
