Article: Home Economics

Summary
This article looks at some of the jobs related to this subject that might interest you.

Introduction
Home economics covers a wide range of subjects, including food and nutrition, clothing and textiles, child
development, sociology and consumer protection.

You can study home economics at GCSE and A level, and there are related university and higher education (HE)
college courses.

At GCSE, there are separate syllabuses for child development, food and nutrition, and textiles. At A level, there is a
separate syllabus for food, nutrition and health.

In schools, many pupils take GCSEs and A levels in design and technology, instead of home economics. At GCSE, there
are syllabuses for food technology and textiles technology. At A level, there are syllabuses for food technology and
product design (textiles).

Colleges and universities run many courses in subjects that are related to home economics, for example, consumer
studies, food science, hotel management, fashion and textiles.

You need to check college and university prospectuses to find out more about the courses you're interested in.

Here, we've outlined just some of the careers that involve knowledge of home economics. For some of them, you'll
need a qualification in a subject other than home economics to enter, although home economics will still give you a
useful background for the career.

Food and nutrition

Food Scientist/Technologist

Food Scientists are experts on the biological, chemical and physical make-up of food, and how food can be
processed, stored and preserved. Food Technologists apply this knowledge to make new food products and ensure
that they are safe and of good quality.

Although Food Scientists are more likely to go into research, and Food Technologists into production, the division
between them is not clear-cut. Both may work in research and development, production, and quality assurance
management.

To become a Food Scientist/Technologist, you'll usually need a relevant degree, foundation degree or higher national
qualification.

Food Technician

Food Technicians help Scientists/Technologists to develop food products. Technicians test the safety and quality of
raw materials and finished products, as well as testing packaging, processing and storage techniques.

They look after the day-to-day running of the laboratory, and might also help in the research and development of
new products.

The usual minimum entry requirements for a trainee position are four GCSEs (A*-C or 9-4), including English, maths
and a science subject.

Dietitian

Dietitians give people information and advice about the right diet to maintain their health or to help them cope with
or overcome an illness.

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 Dietitians may be based in hospitals or the community. Hospital work mainly involves diet therapy for individual
patients, for example, people with food allergies or diabetes. They also train and advise other health professionals in
the hospital.

In the community, a dietitian might be involved in clinical work or health promotion, or a mixture of both. For
example, they might work with health professionals such as GPs, practice nurses and health visitors. Health
promotion could include giving talks in schools or to groups such as slimming clubs and pregnant women.

Dietitians work in lots of other areas, including sports nutrition, the food and pharmaceutical industries, education,
research and journalism.

Qualification is through a recognised degree or postgraduate course in dietetics and/or nutrition.

Nutritionist

Nutritionists help us to understand how nutrition affects our health. They work in lots of areas, including the NHS,
sports nutrition, the food industry and animal nutrition.

NHS Nutritionists often work in the community, helping people to prevent problems such as cancer, stroke and
diabetes. They might run healthy eating sessions, teach cooking skills and produce information about a healthy diet.

In the food industry, Nutritionists research and develop new food products. They advise on food products' nutritional
content, such as how much fat and salt they have in them.

The right diet can help sports professionals to train and perform at their best. Nutritionists work with Athletes and
Players, and also give people advice in the fitness industry.

Animal Nutritionists look at ways to improve the quality and quantity of things such as eggs, meat and milk. They also
try to improve pets' diets.

To become a Nutritionist, you'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in nutrition or a relevant
biological science.

Catering and hospitality

Catering/Restaurant Manager

Catering/Restaurant Managers work in a wide variety of places, from top hotels to fast food chains, hospitals, cruise
ships and prisons.

Their main responsibility is for staff management, recruitment, training and day-to-day organisation. Other areas
include quality control, hygiene, and health and safety.

Managers might be responsible for setting and controlling budgets. They might also plan menus, order supplies,
greet customers and deal with any complaints. They need to be good at dealing with people and should be able to
work under pressure.

One route to becoming a Catering/Restaurant Manager is to complete a relevant HND, foundation degree or degree
and then apply for a management training scheme. Some training programmes are also open to people with fewer
qualifications. You might also be able to work your way up from a lower-level job.

Hotel Manager

The duties of Hotel Managers vary according to the size of the hotel.

In a large hotel, the General Manager organises a team of departmental Managers, taking overall responsibility for
planning, budgeting and marketing. In a smaller hotel or guest house, the work will be more 'hands-on', with greater
day-to-day contact with guests.

Many small hotels are owner-managed, and qualifications are not essential.

However, a broader range of opportunities is open to those with relevant qualifications, such as a degree, foundation
degree or HND in hotel or hospitality management. Some training programmes are also open to people with fewer
qualifications. You might also be able to work your way up from a lower-level job.

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 Domestic Services Manager

Domestic Services Managers, often known as 'Housekeepers' in the hotel industry and 'Domestic Bursars' in
educational institutions, are responsible for the cleanliness and general maintenance of large residential
establishments. They work in places like hospitals, hotels, schools, universities and colleges.

They are responsible for organising the work of domestic staff, who keep the buildings clean and in good condition.
They might have other areas of responsibility, such as organising laundry services or arranging repairs.

They spend part of their time checking the work of staff, but there is also an office-based element to their work,
involving administration and managing budgets.

Most domestic services management posts need degree or HND-level qualifications, but it's possible (for instance, in
the hotel industry) to start at a lower level and work your way up.

Chef

The term 'Chef' tends to be used in hotels and restaurants, whereas 'Cook' is used in work canteens, schools and
hospitals.

In large hotel and restaurant kitchens, there are a number of specialist Chefs running different sections (such as
vegetables or pastry) under the direction of the Head Chef. In smaller establishments, the Chef might do everything -
ordering food, cooking and clearing up.

There can be opportunities for creative cookery, and to experiment with new and specialist dishes, particularly for
experienced Chefs.

In catering services, such as for airlines, schools and hospitals, the work is more routine. It often involves preparing
large numbers of meals in a central kitchen, which are then distributed to different sites and re-heated.

Whatever the setting, the work of a Chef or Cook is physically demanding. Most of the working day is spent standing
up in a hot kitchen. Unsocial hours are often part of the job.

Qualifications are not essential for entry to training.

Consumer protection
Trading Standards Officer

Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) enforce the laws and regulations that cover the goods and services we buy, hire
and sell.

They inspect premises, sample, test and measure products, investigate complaints, give consumer advice and enforce
the law. Local authorities employ TSOs.

TSOs make regular checks to see if things like scales and petrol pumps measure accurately. They check toys and
electrical products to make sure that they are safe to use.

TSOs might take samples of food and drink products to make sure that nutritional information on labels is accurate
and that advertisements are not misleading.

You can become a Trading Standards Officer by doing a degree (currently, the Trading Standards Institute (TSI)
recommends law) and then working as a trainee in a local authority. You will then take a TSI qualification.

Another way is for people working in a trading standards department, as an Enforcement Officer or in consumer
advice, to take a TSI qualification and to have their experience taken into account.

Environmental Health Practitioner

Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs) protect us from environmental hazards at home, at work and in public
places.

EHPs make sure our food is safe to eat, and improve conditions for people living in unfit or old housing. EHPs also
monitor and control air, water, land and noise pollution.

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 EHPs visit places such as offices, houses, leisure services, shops and restaurants. They advise people on the best
ways to protect themselves and others from environmental hazards. EHPs must also enforce the law, for example,
closing food premises or requiring Landlords to carry out essential repairs.

Some EHPs work for private companies, making sure that they are following the law and safeguarding their
employees and customers.

Entry is with a degree or postgraduate qualification that is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Environmental
Health. You must also have practical training, which might be included in your course.

Textiles and clothing

Textile Designer

Textile Designers create designs for fabrics, carpets, wall-coverings and soft furnishings. Some, particularly in small
companies, spend most of their time reworking traditional designs. In large firms, there may be more opportunities
to create original designs.

It's important for Textile Designers to have knowledge of yarns, dyes and manufacturing processes, as these affect
designs.

The usual route into this career is via a degree or HND in textile or fashion design.

Fashion Designer

Fashion Designers design clothing and/or accessories. A few work in haute couture, designing exclusive garments for
individual clients and producing seasonal collections.

Others design ready-made quality garments, often following the trends set by haute couture. Fashion Designers
working for wholesale manufacturers design the clothes that we see in shops and in catalogues.

Most people enter this work by doing a degree or HND in fashion design.

Tailor

Tailors produce hand-crafted garments - particularly men's suits - to order. They also make alterations to garments.

They advise customers on the range of fabrics and styles available and take measurements. They then make
cardboard or paper patterns, cut out cloth and stitch the garments, mainly by hand.

Entry to this career is usually via an Intermediate Level Apprenticeship.

Textile industry

There are also many technical jobs in the textile industry, such as:

Textile Technologist
Textile Technician
Textile Operative
Dyeing Technician

Education
Teaching and lecturing

Most Home Economics Teachers work in secondary schools. They teach pupils about child development, food and
nutrition or textiles. Design and Technology Teachers can also cover areas related to home economics, such as food
technology and textile technology.

Teaching methods include group and practical work, discussions, and using audio-visual materials and the internet.
Teaching may also involve visits to places of educational interest. Home Economics Teachers also have to plan
lessons, mark work, write reports, go to meetings and give feedback.

To teach food technology in a secondary school, you can take a degree in design and technology secondary

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 education, leading to Qualified Teacher Status. There are only a small number of courses.

Secondary school Home Economics Teachers can also qualify by taking a degree in a related subject, for example,
consumer studies, food science, hotel management, fashion and textiles. They follow this with a one-year PGCE in
either home economics or design and technology (please check that courses include a home economics-related
subject such as food technology and/or textiles).

There are opportunities in further education (FE) and higher education (HE) to teach subjects such as food science or
consumer studies. HE lecturers usually need a PhD and a strong record of publishing papers on home economics
subjects.

The caring services

Home Care Organiser

Home Care Organisers manage the services that help people to cope within their own homes. They recruit, train and
supervise Home Care Assistants who provide practical, social and emotional care to clients. Home Care Organisers
assess clients' needs and arrange services such as delivery of free meals.

Employment is with local authority social services departments and private agencies. There are no set entry
requirements, although supervisory/management experience is often preferred.

Other jobs in the caring services

Some people with training in home economics go into housing work or health education/promotion.

Further Information
Contacts

Institute of Hospitality (IoH)

Address: Trinity Court, 34 West Street, Sutton, Surrey SM1 1SH
Tel: 020 8661 4900
Website: www.instituteofhospitality.org

Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH)

Website: www.ehcareers.org

Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)

Email: info@csd.org.uk
Website: www.csd.org.uk

Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI)

Address: 1 Sylvan Court, Sylvan Way, Southfields Business Park, Basildon, Essex SS15 6TH
Tel: 0845 6089500
Email: qualifications@tsi.org.uk
Website: www.tradingstandards.gov.uk

Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS)

Scottish enquiries
Address: 19 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh EH3 8HX
Tel: 0131 2292968
Email: contact@rehis.com
Website: www.rehis.com

Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)

Address: 5 Cambridge Court, 210 Shepherds Bush Road, London W6 7NJ
Tel: 020 7603 6316
Email: info@ifst.org
Website: www.ifst.org

Food and Drink Federation (FDF)

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 Address: 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ
Tel: 020 7836 2460
Email: press.office@fdf.org.uk
Website: www.fdf.org.uk

Taste Success
Address: 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ
Tel: 020 7420 7140
Email: tastesuccess@fdf.org.uk
Website: www.tastesuccess.co.uk

Taste Success Case Studies

Address: 6 Catherine Street, London WC2B 5JJ
Tel: 020 7836 2460
Email: tastesuccess@fdf.org.uk
Website: www.fdf.org.uk/corporate_pubs/Taste_Success_future_in_food.pdf

British Dietetic Association (BDA)

Address: 5th Floor, Charles House, 148-9 Great Charles Street Queensway, Birmingham B3 3HT
Tel: 0121 2008080
Email: info@bda.uk.com
Website: www.bda.uk.com

Welsh Culinary Association

Email: office@welshculinaryassociation.com
Website: www.welshculinaryassociation.com

The Welsh Food and Drink Skills Project

Website: www.foodanddrinkskills.co.uk

PDR Online
Address: National Centre for Product Design and Research (PDR), Cardiff Metropolitan (UWIC), 200 Western
Avenue, Cardiff, UK, CF5 2YB
Tel: 029 2041 7043
Email: info@designwales.org
Website: www.designwales.org

Related Careers
Baker
Butcher
Butcher - Wholesale
Food Service Assistant
Restaurant Manager
Chef
Dietitian
Dry Cleaning Assistant
Fashion Designer
Fishmonger
Food Scientist
Food Technician
Shoe Repairer
Hotel Manager
Kitchen Assistant
Laundry Assistant
Presser
Sewing Machinist
Nutritionist
Waiter/Waitress
Technical Brewer
Garment Technologist
Textile Designer

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 Costume Designer
Environmental Health Officer
Health Promotion Practitioner
Domestic Services Manager
Design and Technology Teacher
Secondary Teacher
Textile Technician
Textile Technologist
Trading Standards Officer
Home Care Organiser
Bar Staff
Dressmaker
Dry Cleaning/Laundry Manager
Further Education (FE) Lecturer
Higher Education (HE) Lecturer
Tailor
Textile Operative
Pattern Cutter
Restaurant Host/Hostess
Barista

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