Application
This unit of competency covers the skills and knowledge required to undertake sewing to assemble and sew garment components or textile products using one or more machines for intermediate sewing operations. Operations include feeding and handling of work involving directional changes, contouring or critical stopping points or requiring feeding and handling skills because of fabric or material variation.
The unit of competency applies to sewing work using a machine such as a plain lockstitch sewing machine, a three, four or five thread overlocker, a blind hemming machine or a zigzag sewing machine.
Work is conducted according to defined procedures.
Work may be conducted in small to large scale enterprises and may involve individual and team activities.
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 to sew components | 2.1 | Prepare to use sewing machine |
2.2 | Check needles, attachments and parts, and identify worn needles and parts, and report or replace, according to manufacturer instructions | ||
2.3 | Receive work and check that the bundle matches ticket information and that previous operations have been successfully completed | ||
3 | Sew components | 3.1 | Complete required sewing operations to sew work pieces using machine according to specifications and workplace procedures |
3.2 | Regularly check performance of machine for signs of faulty operation, including evidence from inspection of finished pieces | ||
3.3 | Take required action to address poor performance | ||
4 | Review and complete work | 4.1 | Inspect sewn components or textile products, identify any faults, take appropriate action and check finished pieces against quality standards |
4.2 | Record results of inspection of finished component | ||
4.3 | Record action taken to either reject or correct faulty components | ||
4.4 | Record preventative action taken to avoid recurrence of defective pieces | ||
4.5 | Complete production records or packing slips | ||
4.6 | Direct completed work to next operation or packing section |
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
applying relevant standards
preparing workstation and work before commencing sewing operations
demonstrating intermediate sewing techniques using one (1) or more fabrics to sew at least five (5) different garment or textile components
completing at least five (5) examples of the following operations:
feeding and handling work involving directional changes, contouring or critical stopping points
feeding and handling skills required because of fabric or material variation
sewing and doing routine maintenance on at least one (1) of the following machines:
three, four and five thread overlocker
zigzag machine
blind hemming machine
plain lockstitch sewing machine
inspecting sewn components or textile products, identifying any faults, taking appropriate action and checking finished pieces against quality standards
recording results of inspections to identify faulty components and preventative action
completing production records or packing slips and directing completed work to next operation or packing section, according to workplace procedures.
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
characteristics of woven and knitted fabrics, such as denim, single knits, tricot and gabardine
range of components:
sleeves
waistbands (straight or shaped)
collars
cuffs
plackets
facings (neck and armhole)
binds
zips (dress, skirt, trouser and invisible)
buttons and buttonholes
pockets (cut away, patch and in seam)
work for sewing, such as:
pieces of material or fabric components
yarns and threads
finished textile products
components of textile products
faulty textile products
labels and tickets
finishing components and accessories
fusing or pressing station
machine operation and maintenance
quality standards and practices
sequence of operations
workplace procedures
recording and reporting practices.
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 components, 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, awards, agreements and conditions of employment SOPs work instructions personal protective equipment (PPE) 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 |
Prepare to use sewing machine includes the following: | receive work pieces, check specification sheets and plan follow-up action lay out work pieces in sequence set up workbench and seating according to workplace procedures clean, check, set up and adjust machines according to specifications for work identify poor machine performance and adjust as required |
Sew work pieces includes the following: | sew pieces according to product requirements and quality standards use machine according to requirements for speed of work control machine speed and work handling according to type of operations, fabrics and product type |
Fabrics include the following: | woven and knitted fabrics, such as denim, single knits, tricot and gabardine |
Components include one or more of the following: | sleeves waistbands (straight or shaped) collars cuffs plackets facings (neck and armhole) binds zips (dress, skirt, trouser and invisible) buttons and buttonholes pockets (cut away, patch and in seam) |
Textile products include one or more of the following: | finished textile products components of textile products faulty textile products |
Machines include one or more of the following: | plain lockstitch sewing machine three, four or five thread overlocker zigzag sewing machine blind hemming machines |
Set-up includes the following: | correct thread needle size and type: a variety of size and types, such as standard and ball point needle guard tension setting attachments |
Sewing operations include the following: | sewing techniques where the positioning, feeding and handling of work pieces involves discretionary changes, contouring or critical stopping points sewing techniques involving the special handling skills required to accommodate fabric variations gathering, easing, tucking and stitching curves hems (double fold, rolled, blind and stitched hem) darts and pleats |
Sectors
Not applicable
Competency Field
Clothing production