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- Fit seats, roofs and other fabrics to cars and other vehicles
- Opportunities to work on interesting vehicles like luxury cars, aircraft, or trains
- You'll need excellent practical ability and to build up specialist skills over time
This is an ideal role for someone who likes cars or other vehicles and wants to develop a specialist skill that is in demand - particularly in the luxury vehicle market. You'll work with your hands and build up a valuable skill which can be applied across the automotive industry and in more traditional upholstery.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Use upholstery techniques to cover the seats, roofs, and interiors of cars with fabrics.
- Work with a range of fabrics, including leather and suede, to select the right pieces, cut out shapes, stitch them together and fit them to the vehicle
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You might work in a factory, preparing upholstery for new cars, or you might work on repairs, replacements, or renovations of vehicles.
You'll need
Many employers will train you on the job for this career, or offer apprenticeships so that you can learn and earn at the same time. You'll need to demonstrate that you have good practical skills, basic numeracy (for measuring and making sure quantities are correct), and a willingness to learn. You could do a college course or hobby course in upholstery to get you started or to help you work out if this career is for you.
You could work directly for one of the large automotive manufacturers, or you could seek out specialist trimmers for a particular kind of vehicle and seek an apprenticeship or entry level role with them.
CAREER PROSPECTS
You might specialise in a particular kind of vehicle (like luxury cars, aircraft, trains or buses) or fabric (like leather), and you could set up your own company and work for yourself.