Hand & Lock Training Programme

Hand & Lock has an enduring passion for education and instruction to keep the beautiful craft of embroidery alive. Since the early 2000’s, Hand & Lock has sought to promote, cultivate and preserve the highest standards within the creative embroidery field. Whether you are studying for a qualification in Textiles, or perhaps you have just graduated in a Fashion or Costume related course; If you are keen to further your exploration of embroidery, our training programme could be the right path for you.

The goal of the Hand & Lock training programme is to provide an enriching and in depth embroidery studio experience, supporting both students and graduates alike. This traineeship will give you ‘real world’ industry experience in a thriving embroidery studio. We will help you to expand your creative skills across a range of specialisms as well as the practical skills required to run a creative business. Hand & Lock is a unique and diverse company working on projects of all shapes and sizes for a wide range of clients and outcomes. This breadth of knowledge and experience will equip applicants for a wide range of roles across the wider fashion and textiles industry.

Programme Detail

Term: 6 Months Minimum - 12 Months Maximum. Students and recent graduates are all welcome to apply.

Start dates are set quarterly: First Monday of the Month in January, April, July & September.

Pay: Minimum Wage hourly rate

Hours: 18 per Week (3 days a week, 10 - 4pm)

During contracted hours, you will gain experience across all departments of the Hand & Lock studio.

Additional Benefits

The Hand & Lock Diploma for Contemporary Embroidery:

You will automatically be enrolled onto the H&L Diploma for the duration of your training programme.

Personal Development Days:

You will be welcome to use our studio facilities on the weekdays that you are not contracted to work for the duration of your training programme.

Training Programme Application Process

How To Apply

To apply for the Hand & Lock Training Programme you will be required to submit an application to us. This application must contain a CV, covering letter and minimum 15 page digital portfolio of work. You may also submit supporting references to a website and/or social media accounts.

Your portfolio should contain a range of beautiful, innovative, highly creative and varied design work, showcasing a keen interest and skill level in embroidery design and wider textile/ fashion design.

Training Programme Application Process

Portfolio Submission

You should include any of your current skills that may be relevant to the training programme, such as:

Basic hand sewing skills
Microsoft Office or google alternatives (e.g. Sheets/Slides etc)
Design work: including trend research, moodboard creation, hand drawing and CAD design
Embroidery/ Textile samples showing a variety of techniques and different uses of materials.
Hand embroidery skills
Adobe suite (photoshop, illustrator, InDesign etc)
Wilcom digital embroidery studios
Experience working with digital embroidery machines
Experience working with Domestic sewing machines or any other sewing & embroidery machinery
Pattern cutting/ basic sewing & construction skills
Photography skills

Training Programme Application Process

Interview Process

If your application is taken through to the next stage, you will then be invited to our studios for an interview with our Production & Creative Manager, Head of Education and/ or our Studio Manager.

The interview process will include a discussion of the pieces in your portfolio, what you hope to gain from the training programme and what skills you can bring to the H&L team during your training programme.

The Interview will also include a tour of our studios.

If your application is successful you will then be assigned a start date for your Training Programme. There will be specific staggered start dates set throughout the year.

Training Programme Application Process