Insights into the UK Fashion Job Market

Throughout all the lectures, I couldn't help but notice the struggles all the professionals like Angela, Katie and Lewis faced in begining of the career. So, for me it is was important to research deeper into the UK fashion job market.

In a report by Oxford Economics commissioned by UKFT, it was found that UK fashion and textile industry can be categorised into “creating and making” and “distribution, retail and aftercare”.

Report shares data about number of jobs industry is creating for different groups of people:

- Nearly 200,000 jobs for young people under 25.

- Over 50,000 jobs for older adults aged 65 and above.

- More than half a million jobs for women.

And it's spread all across the UK:

- London has over 210,000 jobs.

- The North West has about 140,000 jobs.

- Yorkshire and the Humber region has around 120,000 jobs.

- The South West has roughly 110,000 jobs.

- Scotland has close to 100,000 jobs.

- Wales has over 56,000 jobs.

- Northern Ireland has approximately 40,000 jobs.

In particularly talking about design job roles, despite concerns about AI taking over jobs, it is observed that the number of designer's employed in fashion industry last year was increasing in comparison to previous years.

Source: Global Data

References

The UK fashion and textile industry contributes £62bn to the UK economy (ukft.org)

Signal: Fashion designer surge with jobs doubling over 12 months (just-style.com)

Unpaid Internships : Experience or Exploitation

In today's tough economy where living expenses are increasing day by day and everyone is facing financial crisis, asking someone to work for free raises fairness concerns. Unpaid internship is generally backed up by the requirement of practical experience among recent graduates and the fact that they can be less productive as compared to the employees who have some experience. I believe that completing a degree should qualify one for working in then industry.

Moreover, I also believe that companies now have made this as an excuse to exploit and get unpaid or free labour from the recent graduates.

I had discussion with Katie Greenyer and Sarah Swindell regarding similar topic, they suggested to make a decision based on the personal benefit. Would you want to work for free for a start-up? Probably not. But for a brand like Alexander McQueen? Maybe. You have to decide what can help you in future . But does doing internship in big brands really help you getting good jobs in future ? No, one can assure you that. Maybe you can end up with more unpaid internship offers.

I know a person who recently graduated from NTU and she also did 8 month internship with a brand in Nottingham and even after that she was being offered unpaid jobs and internships.

So, what are the real problems with unpaid internships?

1. Unpaid internships are not paying you . So, it is a privilege for those who are financial well enough to sustain their living without regular pay.

2. There is no guarantee to get a job even after unpaid internship. Danny Parisi states 'Paid internships lead to full-time jobs 65% of the time, while unpaid internships only 39% of the time, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.'

3. Not all internships provide learning some of them are just about making coffee and doing basic things.

4. Under Fair Labour Standard Act, unpaid interns are not considered 'employee' of the organization, so they are not legally protected against harassment and discrimination.

For someone like me who belong from a Middle class family, putting financial burden on my parents after graduation is not an option. As an International student I have limited time here with us, post study work visa is for 2 years and during this we have to find a job which is suitable for us and prove our worth so that employer can agree to hire me on skilled worker visa. Even though I agree to do an unpaid internship along with other part time jobs, the uncertainty of paid employment after an unpaid internship is a major concern.

References

Confessions of a fashion intern: 'So many companies rely on free labor' (glossy.co)

Unpaid Internships And The Need For Federal Action (naceweb.org)

Patience, Determination, and Resilience: Insights from Angela Fusco's Journey

Angela Fusco's lecture was  inspiring, particularly as she talked about her journey from the initial struggle to her current achievements. Learning about her challenges in finding a job post-graduation was eye-opening, especially considering the time constraints faced by international students like myself. The urgency to secure employment within a limited timeframe is indeed a daunting prospect. To address this concern, I am determined to take proactive steps by initiating the job application process well in advance. By starting early, I hope to maximize my chances of securing a position and establishing myself within the industry before time becomes a pressing factor.

Something to which I really connected to, was her discussion about pressure to define her personal style during her academic years. I have always felt uncertain between my two contrasting styles when it comes to designing - one being soft, elegant and feminine and the other being strong, bold and confident. When I entered to NTU I wanted to find my final call, and now 5 months into course I am still not sure about it. However, now- instead of viewing this uncertainty as a drawback, I see it as my strength. Instead of feeling constraint to fit one Mould, I embrace versatility. This opens up more opportunities to work in  and seamlessly integrate into diverse brands and projects in the future.     

Angela talked about networking being crucial aspect in the industry. I could relate to her admission of finding networking challenging as approaching people and initiating conversations can be daunting and it does not come naturally to many people. She mentioned how important it is to approach people and ask about opportunities, rather than waiting for the opportunities to come to you.

 Overall, most impressive thing about Angela's journey was her patience, determination and resilience. Despite facing so many challenges in securing a paid job, she continued to work towards her goals. This underlines the importance of not giving up, hard work and patience pays off over time. I do believe getting in the creative field is not easy thing to do but seeing Angela's journey make me believe that it is not impossible to achieve.