Occupation Shortage Skills Survey Highlights Critical Gaps in Fashion and Textile Workforce

Earlier this month, we surveyed a sample of brands and manufacturers for the Jobs and Skills Australia Occupation Shortage List

We had a total of 32 brands and manufacturers respond on how skills shortages are impacting their business. Many businesses reported ongoing difficulty in finding qualified applicants for roles such as sewing machinists, patternmakers and senior executives. Critically, some positions have remained vacant for nearly a decade, highlighting the long-term impact of underinvestment in training and education. Full results below:

• 32 brands and manufacturers responded employing a total of 2,777 staff.
• Each brand that participated in the survey has an average of 87 employees.
• 81.4% of advertised jobs in 2024 were filled.
• Only 21.2% of roles attracted applicants with relevant qualifications, skills, and experience.
• All brands reporting on sewing machinist roles cited a severe undersupply of skilled workers.
• Only 62.5% of Clothing Patternmaker positions were filled, highlighting a critical skills gap due to lack of technical skills and experience. 
• 44.4% of brands reported an undersupply of Chief Executives and Managing Directors. Brands finding applicants lacked technical skills, lacked experience in the occupation and/or remuneration (wage/salary/pay rate). 

 

Feedback from survey respondents

“We’ve been searching for experienced sample sewing machinists and fabric cutters with over 10 years of experience but have struggled to find even candidates with 5 years' experience. We haven’t successfully filled these roles since 2016, highlighting a serious gap in the workforce.”

“There is a major lack of manufacturing training in Australia, preventing the transfer of current knowledge and hands-on skills to the next generation. Without proper training, we risk losing the capability to manufacture locally and will become increasingly reliant on offshore production.”

“We need more VET (Vocational Education and Training) programs focused on patternmaking and sewing, with strong on-the-job components like internships. Currently, bachelor programs do not produce skilled patternmakers or sample machinists and if we’re not careful about the courses we offer, these vital skills could disappear.”

Where to from here?

We used these findings to advocate for our sector by contributing them to Jobs and Skills Occupation Shortage Analysis. We ran our own survey to ensure the fashion and textile industry was accurately represented, as it’s often underrepresented in broader government research.

Looking ahead, these insights will also inform AFC’s ongoing policy work and future skills development initiatives.