Mandy enjoys SAFT success

How a member of the SATRA team is benefiting from the hard work required to gain this prized qualification.

SATRA is delighted to have presented the highly regarded SATRA Accredited Footwear Technician (SAFT) award to technologist Mandy de Wet, who joins a select group of successful students who have achieved this internationally recognised accolade. The SAFT course has been designed for technologists involved in any aspect of footwear production.

Six key areas in footwear production are taught: i) lasts and fitting, ii) materials and constructions, iii) laboratory test procedures, iv) product design and lean manufacturing, v) quality assurance and performance/risk assessment, and vi) industrial footwear. Each module is led by a SATRA specialist and covered in detail during two days intensive training with comprehensive documentation. The 12 days can be held at SATRA or, if numbers are sufficient, at the students’ company.

Once the course is completed, optional written examinations can be taken. The student selects five of the six subjects (which must include modules i, ii and v) on which to be assessed and, in order to gain SAFT accreditation, an examination pass in each paper is required. There is no requirement to take all five examinations at one go, although the five passes must be obtained within two years.

Mandy’s experience

How did Mandy study for her SAFT qualification?

“The course is very flexible, as you can choose when to take part in seminars for each module and when to take each exam – as long as you complete it within two years,” she said. “My background in manufacturing really helped, and I enjoyed talking to other people who worked in manufacturing.

“I opted to study for two modules at first and then to take the exam six months later. Then I studied for one more, then the final two. It is important not to leave your revision to the last minute,” she added.

“Some people chose to come to SATRA and to do a solid two weeks of five modules. The materials module can be used in any kind of industry and the skills are very transferable to industries other than footwear.
Mandy decided to study for the SAFT qualification as she believes in continual improvement and thinks that study throughout an individual’s career is important.

“The course is relevant to lots of different people,” she continued. “There were designers, production supervisors, buyers and people from all different aspects of the footwear industry. We talked about different issues within the group and shared our experiences with one another. You also get to meet lots of different tutors throughout the course and each one brings a wealth of knowledge and experience.

“The exams are very in-depth. You choose four questions from six [in each examination paper] and write a detailed answer using the information that you have studied. If you’ve read all of the materials, including the extras and SATRA Bulletin articles, you will do well.

“I really enjoyed the laboratory test procedures module and the materials and constructions module. I took them first as I thought that they would be a good way to introduce myself to study.”

Photograph above shows Mandy de Wet receiving her SAFT certificate from SATRA chief executive, Austin Simmons.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 36 of the December 2015 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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