CITY OF TUCSON AND PARTNERS REVITALIZE LOCAL SEWING INDUSTRY

The City of Tucson Office of Economic Initiatives announces a free workforce development program to address the skills gap in the industrial sewing trades. The program, named Arizona Stitch Lab, is offered in partnership between the City of Tucson, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Moonshot AZ, and Sonoran Stitch Factory.

Arizona Stitch Lab offers free workforce training programs in industrial sewing, digital pattern making, 3D Modeling and entrepreneurship. The final 2022 cohort will be on Saturdays, from Oct. 1 through Nov. 5, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The six-week basic industrial sewing skills course covers factory settings and machine safety protocols; industrial machine operations; basic patterning, markers and cutting applications; introduction to fabrication; and materials and fabric handling. A 10-week entrepreneur cohort will be offered this fall for individuals who wish to build their own sewing trade business.

Upon completion of the course, graduates are expected to start with wages of $15 an hour, with annual earning potential as high as $75,000 to $100,000 as training is extended. Graduates may find additional job opportunities in aviation interiors, marine covers, interior decoration, apparel production, awning, upholstery, and more.

“The Arizona Stitch Lab is an unprecedented opportunity to grow the industrial sewn goods sector here in Southern Arizona,” said Erica Yngve, owner of Sonoran Stich Factory. “We are excited about the growth in this industry and look forward to supporting it through this industrial sewing machine operator training,” she said.

The City of Tucson provided $300,000 over two years to fund this workforce development program. “There are more than 50 businesses in Tucson that require industrial sewists,” said Barbra Coffee, Economic Initiatives director for the City of Tucson. “This program will help trainees find local employment opportunities and start down a pathway towards well-paying manufacturing jobs,” she said.

To register for the basic industrial sewing skills course, email info@azstitchlab.org or visit azstitchlab.org for more information. To donate financially or with heavy material donations (upholstery or canvas type fabrics), contact Taimar Escamilla at info@azstitchlab.org.

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