From the Sector

Reset
3 results
Photo: Calderdale College
02.08.2023

BTMA: Apprenticeship Training Course for Textile Engineering Technicians in UK

West Yorkshire is to have a first-of-its-kind apprenticeship training course for textile engineering technicians, reflecting a resurgence in the industry locally, and more generally in the UK.

Calderdale College has partnered with the Textile Centre of Excellence (TCoE) and the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to develop the bespoke Level 3 apprenticeship course which will start in September 2023.

Engineering Technician apprentices at Calderdale College will receive training from the TCoE, helping them to develop the engineering maintenance skills required to close the skills gap in West Yorkshire’s textile industry.

While the region has been a flourishing hub for textile excellence since the 19th century and is being revitalised through digitalization and the localisation of supply chains, its success is currently being hindered by an ageing workforce and high staff turnover.

West Yorkshire is to have a first-of-its-kind apprenticeship training course for textile engineering technicians, reflecting a resurgence in the industry locally, and more generally in the UK.

Calderdale College has partnered with the Textile Centre of Excellence (TCoE) and the British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) to develop the bespoke Level 3 apprenticeship course which will start in September 2023.

Engineering Technician apprentices at Calderdale College will receive training from the TCoE, helping them to develop the engineering maintenance skills required to close the skills gap in West Yorkshire’s textile industry.

While the region has been a flourishing hub for textile excellence since the 19th century and is being revitalised through digitalization and the localisation of supply chains, its success is currently being hindered by an ageing workforce and high staff turnover.

Through adapting the engineering training at Calderdale College to address the current requirements of the textile industry, the unique new course will ensure the passing on of vital know-how and good practice aligned with the new skills demanded by Industry 4.0 and automation.

Collaborative Apprenticeships
Calderdale College has developed the programme over a two-year period through close collaboration with the TCoE and the BTMA, as well as through consultation with British heritage weaver AW Hainsworth and a number of other local textile companies.

The course launch follows on closely from the success of the Collaborative Apprenticeships project launched in 2022 at Calderdale College. To date, this has seen the college engage with over 100 local employers on the benefits of increasing the quantity and improving the quality of the apprenticeships that they offer, as well as encouraging others to introduce apprenticeships for the first time.

“Over the years, we’ve seen how beneficial apprenticeships can be for several sectors, particularly in terms of helping businesses to retain staff and ensuring that they have a steady flow of skilled workers coming in,” said Claire Williams, head of employer engagement at Calderdale College. “Having identified that employers in the textile manufacturing industry were struggling to find apprenticeship training that was designed around their needs, we knew that alongside employers and our partners, we needed to satisfy this critical gap in the market. We hope that this programme will act as a leading example for the rest of the industry to follow.”

Source:

British Textile Machinery Association

Photo: BTMA
26.07.2023

BTMA joins ITMF

The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) has joined the Zurich-headquartered International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) – revitalising a historic connection and reflecting an increased push to expand the international reach of UK companies.

The announcement was made at the ITMA 2023 textile machinery exhibition in Milan from June 8-14.

“We are pleased to welcome the BTMA as our latest association member and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership going forward,” said ITMF Director General Dr Christian Schindler. “The ITMF was actually headquartered in Manchester in the UK up until the 1960s, so we share long-standing roots. Today, ITMF members are from across the entire textile supply chain which enables them to gain a better understanding of the full complexity and dynamics of the industry and to fully respond to the opportunities and challenges it faces.”

The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) has joined the Zurich-headquartered International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) – revitalising a historic connection and reflecting an increased push to expand the international reach of UK companies.

The announcement was made at the ITMA 2023 textile machinery exhibition in Milan from June 8-14.

“We are pleased to welcome the BTMA as our latest association member and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership going forward,” said ITMF Director General Dr Christian Schindler. “The ITMF was actually headquartered in Manchester in the UK up until the 1960s, so we share long-standing roots. Today, ITMF members are from across the entire textile supply chain which enables them to gain a better understanding of the full complexity and dynamics of the industry and to fully respond to the opportunities and challenges it faces.”

Source:

BTMA - British Textile Machinery Association

Jason Kent, BTMA
26.08.2021

New CEO at British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA)

Jason Kent has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the BTMA Group, which also includes subsidiaries nw texnet and The Textile Recorder (Machinery & Accessories) Exhibitions Ltd (TREX), effective from Monday 23rd August 2021.

Jason has been a non-executive member of the BTMA board for over eight years and brings a wealth of experience with him, having spent 35 years working in the carpet tufting machinery industry.

As a time-served mechanical technician engineer, he ascended through a series of positions of greater responsibility with Cobble Blackburn until its acquisition in 2013 by the Vandewiele Group, where he undertook the role of Managing Director for the tufting machinery business.

He also studied part-time for his MBA back in 2011 and is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

“I am very privileged to be joining the BTMA,” said Jason Kent. “I believe there are many generational changes ahead that our members must face and the BTMA needs to be ready and capable of supporting such challenges.”

Jason Kent has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the BTMA Group, which also includes subsidiaries nw texnet and The Textile Recorder (Machinery & Accessories) Exhibitions Ltd (TREX), effective from Monday 23rd August 2021.

Jason has been a non-executive member of the BTMA board for over eight years and brings a wealth of experience with him, having spent 35 years working in the carpet tufting machinery industry.

As a time-served mechanical technician engineer, he ascended through a series of positions of greater responsibility with Cobble Blackburn until its acquisition in 2013 by the Vandewiele Group, where he undertook the role of Managing Director for the tufting machinery business.

He also studied part-time for his MBA back in 2011 and is also a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.

“I am very privileged to be joining the BTMA,” said Jason Kent. “I believe there are many generational changes ahead that our members must face and the BTMA needs to be ready and capable of supporting such challenges.”

 “As I see it, we have three initial goals in providing better business outcomes for our members through active engagement in addressing industry skills deficits, ensuring we are at the forefront of the industrial digitalisation revolution, and leveraging opportunities brought about through innovation and the associated global focus on sustainability.”
Founded in 1940, the British Textile Machinery Association actively promotes British textile machinery manufacturers and their products to the world. The non-profit organisation acts as a bridge between its members and the increasingly diverse industries within the textile manufacturing sector.

More information:
BTMA
Source:

AWOL Media for BTMA