Repair Classes: How to Become a Sewing Machine Repair Person
Even the finest sewing machines eventually break down at some point. Knowing how to fix your machine can save you a lot of money. It may also save you a lot of frustration when you can’t find a nearby sewing machine repairman.
The traditional way to get qualified to become a sewing machine repairman is to take classes. These classes usually are taught by qualified and experienced people who have spent years repairing all types of sewing machines.
To learn all about becoming a sewing machine repairman and possibly starting a second career, just keep reading our article. It is filled with the information you need to find the right avenue for you to take.
Sewing Machine Repair Classes 101
How to Become a Sewing Machine Repair Person
A little investigation work will show you that there are about 4 ways you can become a sewing machine repairman. Not all of those 4 ways will have a certificate waiting for you at the end of your training but they still help you become knowledgeable and qualified.
1. Get certification - this is where you go to a school and take their training courses. Yes, there are a few of these schools in existence and they make sure you are trained by professionals who know what they are doing.
Just the statistics alone should convince you that this may be the avenue for you. There are about 35,000,000 sewing machine users and about 90,000,000 million sewing machines out there that one day will need a repairman.
That means there is a lot of work waiting for you and you may not run out of work any time soon if you are really good. One such school, where those figures were taken from, is the Fix Sewing Machines Institute and you can explore what they have to offer by looking at their website.
2. Take classes - you do not have to go to a formal sewing machine school to get a certification or training. A good trade school or vocational school may have classes available for that purpose.
You will need a high school diploma to get your training started but that little effort is worth it once you learn you can make a lot of money repairing sewing machines. If there is not a vocational school near you you can also sign up at the Singer Sewing Machine repair training class.
Learn how to repair all types of Singer sewing machines. To find out all the information click on this link to get to their website page that has all the answers for you. Getting trained by the people who make the machines may be the best route for you.
3. Watch YouTube videos - you may not get a degree or a certificate but you will get some very helpful and useful information when it comes to making repairs. There are a lot of people who place good repair videos up on this social media/entertainment site.
The good news is that you can watch these videos in your spare time to pick up pointers and know-how. There is more good news. You can watch these videos for free. The savings you get from watching these videos help you buy the correct tools you need to meet all repair jobs that come your way.
Also, you can slow the videos down or stop them while you practice one of the techniques and tricks they provide. Or you can replay those videos until you understand what the person is talking about.
4. Experience - there are always those people who are good with their hands. They can pick up just about any mechanical device and have it fixed in no time. Experience is a great teacher as well.
Again you may not get a certificate but you will get the knowledge you need to make sure those sewing machines are fixed correctly. Having the certificate and the teaching of experienced repair is good but not everyone needs to take that route. They are gifted repairmen who figure out solutions on their own.
With the number of sewing machines that need repairing already in the country, you can get a lot of experience buying your own and reselling them to a person who needs a top-quality machine.
Sewing Machine Repair Certification
What sewing machine certification does for you is to tell everyone who sees the certificate that you know what you are doing and can handle a variety of sewing machine repairs.
That certificate alone is good advertising for you. Your clients and customers will see you have taken the time to invest in your future so they have more confidence in your ability.
The way to get the certification needed, and some States may require proper training if you want to open your own business, is through training. You need to make sure to check with your state first to see what you need to do.
They may even have some state-approved apprenticeship programs you can sign up for to cut costs and get your training on the job. When you get training on the ob, you get paid a little salary so you do not have to miss rent payments or go without eating anything.
One thing you need to be aware of is that industrial companies look to see if you have had the training they need to fit you into their work schedule. The certificate tells them you have that training so getting hired may be a bit easier than if you didn’t have the certificate.
One other thing to be aware of is that those training classes may be under another subject heading. For example, upholstery certificate or degree programs will offer sewing machine repair classes. So don’t dismiss those options until you investigated them.
Sewing Machine Repair Classes Available
For the Fix Sewing Machine Institute linked to above, classes seem to start every 2 months. So that gives you a little time to make plans and set your training budget. For the Singer training, you will have to contact them for the next available time as their website has their next 4 workshops as already filled.
The White sewing center has a schedule up on their website for upcoming classes. The good news is that these classes are held in a variety of States so there may be one near you.
Those States seem to be Indiana, California, and Missouri and you can click this link to see if there is an opening for you. One thing that you should know is that this training is going to cost you about $1,000. The Fix Sewing Machines tuition ranges between $880 and $3,200 depending on the option you want to enroll in.
If you are the adventurous type and like to study in another country, Artizan School is in the United Kingdom. They are being mentioned as they have retreats to Spain as an incentive. Plus, they may be knowledgeable on a variety of sewing machines that have a minimal presence in America.
Read all about their program at this link. That is the key to finding a good sewing repair class near you. A good internet search will turn up some top results and provide you with all the information you need to make a good decision.
They also have email addresses to ask your questions and find out exact dates for when their training starts. Tuition information is also available. Let your computer do a lot of your search work for you.
Sewing Machine Repair Training
While it is good that you can gain knowledge through watching You Tub repair videos on your computer or tablet, you may need that feedback that is essential to helping you become a top repairman.
You won’t necessarily get that feedback through watching those videos. Y9ou may have a question or two that the video doe snot address and that situation is what makes taking regular classes worth the expense.
Not only do you get instant feedback, but you can also have your questions answered and possibly a demonstration by the teacher to show you what you did wrong. You will make mistakes.
It pays to have the teacher there to show you tricks as well as little techniques that get the job done well without using official techniques. Those little bits and pieces of information will always help you later on when you are out on your own.
And as you have already read, there are a lot of places to get that training and the instruction you need to be good. The problem you will face is finding one that is close to you so you do not have to uproot your family just so you can get some training.
The good news here is that some of the institutes already mentioned do offer online training. That means you can keep your day job, train when you have time and your kids won’t hate you for taking them away from their friends.
What makes online training even better, is that usually, the cost goes down because the school is not paying a lot of expenses to have you on campus.
Repair Technician Salary
We are now at the topic you have been waiting to read about. By now you should have the question is taking this training and classes worth it financially. It depends on what you consider financially worth it to be.
Before we list figures, it should be mentioned that you are not going to make the same amount of money as a surgeon or medical specialist. You will be comfortable though.
The average salary for sewing machine repairman is about $15.42 per hour. Some people make more, about $25 per hour, while others make less, about $10 per hour. It may not get you a lot of luxuries in life but these are still good wages.
Some sewing machine repairmen make about $30,000 a year but they do not have 5 years of experience under their belt. So with the passing of time and more experience, you can hopefully make more.
It will depend on what kind of company you work for, the type of training you have and if you work for yourself or not. Also, your pay will depend a lot on your geographical location.
Not every area of the country pays as well as another. Then if you have a generous employer you may get bonuses and other financial rewards throughout the year. The key is that as you go through your training start evaluating the type of employment opportunities that are available and where they are located.
Finding Certified Sewing Machine Repair Technician Jobs
It would be impossible to list all the jobs available for certified sewing machine repair technicians. There are too many levels of opportunity and too many employers to list here.
One of the best places to start would be your city’s or county’s job finding offices to see what is available in your local area. These are good places to start as they should know if there is any funding available to help with tuition and other expenses.
The next step to take if you are not successful at that level is to go on the internet and explore job opportunities through private employment agencies. They have a lot of contacts and employers who let them know when these jobs are available and how much they pay.
They also will know how much training and experience you will need to be qualified to fill those positions. Some of those internet employment agencies are Indeed, Simply Hired, Career Trend and so on.
Or if you do not like the impersonal way those internet companies work, walk into a local employment agency and get personal help. They should have the same leads as the internet versions so you are not hindering your search.
A final place to look would be the many temp agencies that populate the different cities in the country. Starting as a temp is a good way to get your foot in the door and show your temporary bosses what you can do. There are many times a temp job turns into a permanent one through this avenue.
Certified Sewing Machine Repair Technician Self-Employment
When all else fails, you can always explore working for yourself. It will take a little work getting known but the quality of your workmanship will be your best advertisement.
After you get the training and feel you can handle sewing machine work on your own, you can start in your basement or garage and work for friends, neighbors and so on. It is a tough road but if you stick to it, you should be able to do okay.
Plus, working for yourself lets you be in control of what you charge for your services. You do not want to start too high or you lose business. And you do not want to start too low or you lose the business.
It's going to take some time to get everything laid out just right where you can work at a pace you enjoy while still making enough money to meet your obligations.
Sewing Machine Repairman Questions
1. How much do the classes cost?
This is up to the institution you are planning to attend. Everyone has their prices and you would need to contact them for exact figures. But you are looking at a ballpark figure of about $1,000.
2. Can I wait till the last minute to register?
This is not a good idea as classes fill up fast. What you should do is plan for a class that gives you enough time to prepare your budget and schedule so you are not stressed out with last-minute issues that cause a lot of problems for students.
3. When are the classes given?
For on-campus classes, you are looking at attending between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Online classes will have a different schedule.
4. What things do I need for class?
You can bring a notebook, pen, your tools, a digital camera, recorder, needles. It will depend a lot on the institution you attend. Some institutes may require you to bring your sewing machine.
5. Can I skip the basic classes and take advanced ones?
It is possible but you may find that you are missing key information that would help you in those advanced classes.
Some Final Words
Becoming a sewing machine repairman is a good career if you like working with your hands. As you can see there are lots of opportunities for training and to get your certification.
Just make sure you ask the institution you plan on attending all your questions before you sign up and pay your fees. It may save you a hassle in getting your money back.
