Budding textile designer trade receives its first-time master craftsman's examination regulation

The trade of textile designer, comprising some 1,370 independent businesses, is to receive its first-time, modern and contemporary examination regulation for the master craftsman's diploma. It is to become effective on 1 September 2013.

The scope of the textile designer trade incorporates the fields of operation of several old crafts such as "embroidery", "weaving", "lace-making", "passementerie", "knitting" and "felting". The diversity of this trade and the corresponding, highly differentiated demands in the respective areas of activity are reflected in the examination requirements for the master craftsman's certificate.

Given the multitude of products and the various different combinations of materials, a master must have a firm command of manufacturing techniques and reinstatement work alternatives. The textile design trade requires also a high degree of creative know-how and filigree skill, for instance, when restoring historical woven fabrics.

Yet the skill set is not limited to craftsmanship alone; the occupational competence of the future master craftsmen and -women is further complemented by technical understanding, for example, for the programming of computer-operated machines.

The textile designer trade is an unrestricted trade. This means that – in contrast to the restricted trades – a successfully completed examination for the master craftsman's certificate is not obligatory for working as a self-employed craftsperson in this trade.

However, the trade and crafts code in Germany (Handwerksordnung) provides for the voluntary examination for the master craftsman's certificate. This "voluntary" master craftsman's diploma is proof of a special degree of qualification compared to other self-employed tradesmen and -women in the textile design trade and, at the same time, constitutes a reliable hallmark of excellence for the customers, denoting the best craftsmanship and customer focus.