Leicester City Council has committed GBP300,000 (US$399,478) in the initiative, collaborating with training provider Fashion-Enter Ltd to create The Fashion Technology Academy, a new textiles skills centre (Leicester).
Apprenticeships and approved training will be available at the academy for individuals who work in or want to work in the textiles sector.
Unemployed persons can take current courses for free, while firms can hire apprentices at various levels.
The academy is housed in a facility shared with local clothing manufacturer Ethically Sourced Products Ltd, which has made the second floor of its premises accessible for the project.
Some of the academy’s first classes have already begun, and the project was officially launched this week with an event for partners, industry professionals, fashion stores, and visitors.
“This academy’s launch is the product of years of hard effort and concepts that were initially formulated during a groundbreaking textiles coalition event sponsored by Leicester’s city mayor in 2017.” “Despite having no enforcement powers ourselves, this project has been established to help address the challenges that we know exist in the garment industry locally and are determined to address,” stated Deputy City Mayor Councillor Adam Clarke.
“As the UK’s second-largest concentration of textiles and fashion enterprises, Leicester is a vital industry for our local economy, and one we are determined to promote.”
