More investment for UK leather sector
Skillfast-UK has signed a deal with the government to boost investment in training for the fashion and textiles sector by £24.5 million over a three-year period.
Leather and leathergoods businesses will be among more than 1,500 businesses that will benefit. The funding will be used to support training towards qualifications at entry, technical and management levels. It will also fund 500 new apprenticeships.
According to Skillfast-UK, the fashion and textiles sector, which contributes around £10 billion to the UK’s economy each year, needs to recruit an estimated 34,000 new workers over the next five years. It also needs to develop the skills of its existing workforce if it is to remain competitive.
Skills Minister, Lord Young, said: “The government values the important contribution the fashion and textiles industry makes to our national life, and is committed to working closely with the sector to help it to attract, train and retain quality staff. This compact will ensure that employers will have access to flexible, world-class training, tailored to the specific needs of their business, and delivered when and where they need it.”
Linda Florance, chief executive of Skillfast-UK, said: “Our figures show that the annual spend from the public purse invested £110 million in training for this sector, yet only £1 million of this went into training in the workplace – which is the training employers say is most effective. This deal represents a dramatic increase in government support for skills in the sector, but, more importantly, it puts the investment where it can make the most difference.”
