Although the UK is no longer a leader in global textile manufacturing, the industry is by no means dead. Across the country, fashion manufacturing employs over 43,000 people within nearly 3,900 companies, and there are around 4,200 textile manufacturing companies that employ 65,000 people, in addition to the 4,000 people employed in the UK footwear industry, according to the UKFT.
In order to keep up, the industry relies on formal apprenticeship training to ensure the workforce is skilled to the highest level, and as many knowledgeable and skilled workers are reaching retirement age, it is important to ensure this experience is not lost.
An apprenticeship is a job with an accompanying skills development programme designed by employers in the sector. It allows the apprentice to gain technical knowledge and gain hands-on experience, while having the added bonus of earning a wage, too.
In the UK fashion and textile industry, there are many apprenticeship programmes available from garment technologists to sewing machinists, to bespoke tailors and cutters, to textile technical specialists and more. Many well-known brands offer apprenticeships, it is just a matter of knowing where to look.
Dr Martens
Dr Martens is a British footwear brand and the first boot arrived in the 1960s. The brand has a long history dating back to 1901 and now its designs are recognised internationally.
Dr Martens is just one example of a British company that offers an apprenticeship scheme. Every year, the company takes on a handful of apprentices who embark on a 12-month apprenticeship in footwear production.
At the end of the programme, the students will achieve an Intermediate Apprenticeship in footwear and be qualified to work as a footwear operative in the Dr Martens factory.
“Our last class of apprenticeships graduated in September (2018),” said Stephen Bent, international sourcing/production manager at Dr Martens, in a presentation he gave at the Make it British Forum in Huddersfield, UK, on 2 November.
“One apprentice is now operating our sealing machine; this is what makes Dr Martens different to other shoes – it’s our own innovation,” added Bent. “Another is now working in our sourcing team, buying and moving things across Asia currently. And, another is now edge trimming – this is a hardcore process that usually takes someone 4-5 years to learn, yet he learnt it in 18 months.”
The Dr Martens apprentices also manage their own Instagram account, whereby three out of the four current apprentices applied for the scheme.
“Our apprentices are also in charge of an internal scheme,” said Bent. “When an employee has worked for Dr Martens for a year, our apprentices make them a special customised pair of boots as a reward.”
Joshua Ellis
From statement boots to handcrafted cloth, established in 1767, Joshua Ellis is a British manufacturer of cashmere, wool, camelhair and vicuña.
The company sources the fibres from countries including Mongolia, China and New Zealand. Afterwards, Joshua Ellis dyes, spins on commission and finishes everything else in house.
“In total, there are 61 people at Joshua Ellis, around 41 of which are involved with manufacturing in the mill,” said Oliver Platt, managing director at Joshua Ellis, in his presentation at the Make it British Forum.
“The average working life of someone in our factory at the moment is more than 35 years, so we have an ageing workforce and an awful lot of skill in our company.”
As a result, the company has an active policy on apprenticeships. There are now six full-time apprentices in the mill, all working towards their certificates and NVQs through the Textile Centre of Excellence.
“We have an aggressive plan to make sure that the skills stay in the industry and in Yorkshire as well,” added Platts.
Johnstons of Elgin
And in Scotland, Johnstons of Elgin is a textile manufacturer focused on taking natural fibres from their raw state turning them into finished products. The company was established in 1797 and focuses primarily on cashmere and fine merino wool.
To date, Johnstons of Elgin employs more than 1,000 people in the country, making it one of the largest textile manufacturing employers in the UK. The company has 103 people with more than 20 years’ service, some of which have more than 40 years’ service.
“Skills are paramount and our biggest challenge at the moment, so we have put 104 people through the Modern Apprenticeship programme,” said Simon Cotton, CEO at Johnstons of Elgin, during his presentation at this year’s Weaving Group Conference in Huddersfield, UK.
“We are now a Scottish qualifications agency authorisation accreditation centre, so we can actually train and accredit our own people. We have 23 trainers, 20 assessors and six internal verifiers, so this has been quite a big investment.”
Cotton continued to explain that the company puts training people at the forefront of the business because “the latest technology is only as good as the people who are running it”.
Cotton added: “If you want to elevate your company, replace people who are retiring and replace those who’d rather work for ASDA, then training people is vital.”
Johnstons of Elgin offers Modern Apprenticeships to people as young as 16 to those over 60. At present, over 100 apprentices are either qualified or in training. Additionally, the company was recently awarded SDS Youth Employer of the Month.
From big names including Burberry to smaller brands such as Hiut Denim Co, there are many apprenticeship programmes around.
Organisations such as the UK Fashion and Textile Organisation and the Textile Centre of Excellence have a lot of information regarding the apprenticeships available, the different training providers and the skills and qualifications that can be gained.
