Fashion skills stitch up success in North West

Fashion and textile employers in the north-west are set to benefit from skills development which will aim to keep the region at the forefront of the fashion industry.

An event has been planned to secure the future of the fashion and textile industries in the north-west, and will deliver sector specific skills training to individuals and businesses in the region.

The event, taking place in Haydock, will encourage businesses to work together by allowing them to access the training on a group basis allowing staff from various companies to train together at any location across the region.

Jan Schofield, the curriculum group manager of fashion and clothing at Liverpool Community College which has helped develop the strategy, said: "The aim of this project is to bring together businesses, not only to ensure that the north-west stays at the top of the industry, but also to allow employers to share good practice and create a unified approach to securing the future of the industry.

"It is a totally flexible solution - the design of the strategy means that the training can be delivered wherever and whenever it is required. And on top of this, employers can also get access to funding to help subsidise the training for staff. "

The event is organised by Liverpool Community College and supported by Skillfast UK and will outline the range of training available to employers including National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs), bespoke training and apprenticeships.

Jamie Petrie from Skillfast UK, said, "Statistics show that if you have the right skills, your business is two-and-a-half times more likely to survive a recession. We want to ensure that the north-west fashion industry not only survives, but that it continues to grow and develop as we look to the future.

"Nurturing skills is an essential element of maintaining good practice and high standards, as well as ensuring that businesses stay at the cutting edge of an extremely fast-paced industry."

The launch of the North West Regional Skills Headquarters is set to take place at an event at The Holiday Inn in Haydock on the 25^th February where businesses can find out what is available to them.