SATRA SAFT boosts performance

SATRA was delighted to present Viv Hamill from Lotus shoes in Northampton the highly regarded and internationally recognised SATRA Accredited Footwear Technician (SAFT) award. SAFT covers five key areas of footwear – lasts and fitting; materials and constructions; laboratory test procedures; product design, performance and risk assessment, and quality assurance/supplier auditing. Each module is assessed by an examination, and a pass in all five subjects is required to gain SAFT accreditation.

Viv has extensive experience in the footwear industry which spans almost 25 years. His first job was working on the production line in the Lotus footwear factory. As times got tougher for the manufacturing industry and the British market began to shrink, many redundancies were made, but Viv’s services were retained and he moved to Northampton. He spent eight years there before relocating to Manchester for three years. Viv then returned to the Northampton head office which is where he is currently based.

Viv is currently Quality Assurance Manager at Lotus. This role involves frequent travel to China and the Far East, where he works closely with manufacturers to ensure the high quality and reliability of both components and whole shoes.

Qualifying for career enhancement

Viv recognises the value of the SAFT course, explaining: “The benefits of being accredited are great. The SAFT award is well known, and it stands me in good stead going forward in my career. I also took the course for personal gain. It has boosted my confidence, and has really enlightened me on how much I’ve learnt throughout my time in both the footwear industry and on the SAFT course.”

The course will help Viv’s performance in his current role. Throughout his training, he has made some excellent contacts, which he highlighted as a great benefit of the course. “I found the course fantastically interesting,” he commented. “Although the exams were challenging and nerve-wracking, it has been a great opportunity and I have made some good friends along the way.”

Photograph shows SATRA Chief Executive Austin Simmons (on right), along with course organiser Stuart Irons (left), presenting Viv Hamill with his SAFT Accreditation certificate.
 

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 6 of the April 2012 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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