Academy to train workers for city’s textile industry
£300,000 FROM COUNCIL HELPS SET UP CENTRE
AN ACADEMY has opened to train the next generation of workers for the city’s still thriving fashion sector.
The Fashion Technology Academy (Leicester) has been launched by Fashion-Enter with £300,000 of support from the city council.
Located in Stonebridge Street, Spinney Hills, in the heart of the city’s garment industry, the centre will offer apprenticeships and accredited training for people who work in, or want to work in, textiles.
Courses are free to unemployed people.
The centre shares a building with clothing company Ethically Sourced Products, which has made the second floor available for the project.
Trainees have started on some of the first courses, with an event held for partners, industry professionals, fashion retailers to mark the official launch.
The city council said £100,000 of the funding has come from the business rates pool, administered by Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). Other partners include suppliers Triumph Needle and Alvanon, and retailer I Saw It First, which has invested £150,000 in training to be delivered by the academy.
In a further boost to the industry, a successful bid to the government’s Community Renewal Fund means the council will receive £500,000 to work together with Fashion-Enter and De Montfort University to offer co-ordinated support to textiles manufacturers and textiles workers.
The council’s adult skills and learning team is also working closely with the academy to offer English courses at the venue for speakers of other languages.
Deputy mayor Councillor Adam Clarke said: “The opening of this academy is the result of years of hard work and ideas that were first formulated at a groundbreaking textiles coalition event hosted by Leicester’s mayor in 2017.
“This project has been developed to help tackle the problems we know exist in the garment industry and are determined to address – despite having no enforcement powers ourselves.
“Leicester has the second largest concentration of textiles and fashion businesses in the UK, so this is a hugely important industry to our economy, and it is one we are determined to support.
“Creating a highly-skilled and specialist workforce is an important and crucial step in creating workplaces where staff are valued, leading to higher standards of workplace compliance.”
Jenny Holloway, director of Fashion-Enter, said: “The opportunity for ethical speed of response fashion from Leicester is enormous for retailers and etailers today.
“Fashion-Enter is delighted to be working collaboratively with partners to train a further generation of multi-skilled workers.
“Thank you to all involved – this is just the start.”
Kevin Harris, who chairs the LLEP board of directors, said: “I’m delighted the Fashion Technology Academy is officially launched.
“Our textile sector has a long local history and has faced some tough times, so the LLEP is pleased to support this initiative with a £100,000 investment from the business rates pool we administer.
“I look forward to seeing the academy developing the workforce and skills of our future textile specialists.”
The academy will work closely with textiles and fashion manufacturers as well as retailers, with representatives from companies including Asos attending the launch event.
Simon Platts, responsible sourcing director at Asos, said: “We’ve worked with Fashion-Enter in London since 2010 and financed its Stitching Academy in 2015, helping to grow and retain vital textile manufacturing skills.
“Now the launch of Fashion Technology Academy Leicester will undoubtedly bring similar benefits to Leicester, helping to turn the city into the fashion centre of excellence we know it has the potential to be.”
Greg Pateras, chief executive of I Saw It First, said: “Our investment in the academy reinforces our desire to strengthen the sector and improve standards.”