WT Johnson

The skills challenge

The apparel and textiles sector has major skills challenges which have held back its progress. A negative image and the long-term decline of Apprenticeships have contributed to this situation. Challenges the sector face include:

• A high average workforce age (20 per cent are aged 55+)
• A shortage of skilled people to fill technical roles at operative and craft level
• The need for leadership, management and business skills to promote growth
• A need to up-skill the workforce to take advantage of new technologies
• Little awareness of and appetite for Apprenticeships
• A lack of information throughout education about the range of high level career opportunities available

The solution

W.T. Johnson & Sons, one of the world’s leading textile dyeing and finishing companies, is leading a skills project involving 40 organisations from across the sector, including manufacturers from textiles, technical textiles, apparel and textile services sectors, their trade associations and Creative Skillset, the Sector Skills Council.

The sector understands that some employers are reluctant to take school leavers and graduates into Apprenticeships due to their lack of industry knowledge and basic ‘employability skills’. To address these concerns a new pre-Apprenticeship programme is being created to assess and match young people with companies for an initial trial period before taking up employment and their Apprenticeship. This activity includes a week-long introductory programme of industry orientation, visits to companies and supply chain partners, functional skills assessments and interview preparation and presentation skills training.

Further actions to improve awareness of the sector as a viable career choice will include co-ordinated activity covering school visits to provide information, company visits, localised Apprenticeship information materials, company internships and work placements.

To replace the large proportion of skilled workers nearing retirement age, partners will scale-up Apprenticeships. A new model for Apprenticeships will be organised regionally, with three intakes a year. It will include content developed by businesses and will be delivered mainly in-company.

To address a major need for increased levels of technical skills, partners will drive the implementation and delivery of new knowledge content in business-critical areas, scaling up, extending and building on Creative Skillset’s Higher Level Apprenticeship development activity.

A programme of activity will also address the lack of managerial skills, which is cited by many high-growth companies as a significant obstacle to their success. Specific skills and knowledge in key business areas including leadership and management, ‘train the trainer’, change management, product and process innovation will be developed.

Impact

This industry-driven skills development project will create nearly 700 Apprenticeship opportunities, as well as over 2,000 other training opportunities.

Planned activity will increase recruitment of talent into the industry, open new opportunities for young people, encourage more employers to be engaged with Apprenticeships, increase skill levels and improve company performance.

Investment

Employer investment: £1,652,368
Employer Ownership Pilot Funding: £2,279,539
Total: £3,931,906

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