Kris’s first impression of the leather industry, after he started a school work placement at the local tannery, was ‘Woah!’. He was taken aback by how fast moving everything was but, after his first day, he had decided he would never work there. However, two years later he applied for a laboratory job at the tannery and is now a leather technician and looking to make a career in the industry.

His role is to ensure that the tannery produces top quality leather, within specifications, by monitoring the leather processing conditions and ensuring they are correct. As the processes in the tannery run 24 hours a day, this may involve being on call, which was initially difficult to adapt to. However, the role is intellectually stimulating and the day-to-day challenges keep him motivated. Every day is a challenge to keep the leather as it should be and every day is different.

By his own admission, Kris left school with very average grades but has since been funded by the company to study leather technology full time at the University of Northampton. Since returning to the factory, he has also completed vocational qualifications and is now studying for a HNC in business. He also needs to ensure that he stays ahead of developments in the technology and chemistry of leather manufacture.

He views his current position as one step in a career in the industry and will soon be moving into a management role. More importantly, he is getting great job satisfaction and a enjoys a sense of involvement in manufacturing quality leather. He says, ‘When I look at the leather upholstery in top luxury cars, I get satisfaction from having played a part in producing it’.