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<p>Support is available to textile companies through a number of national initiatives
such as the Business Growth Service, and through the Growth Hubs which are now being
established across England by Local Enterprise Partnerships.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has invested in the
Textiles Growth Programme through £12.8 million from round 4 of Regional Growth Fund
(RGF). The programme, which is available for textile manufacturing companies across
England (excluding London) will enable the UK to take advantage of a rapidly emerging
trend for the re-shoring textile manufacturing and help grow the home and overseas
markets in clothing with the Made in Britain mark. The Textiles Growth Programme,
through the recent RGF Round 6, was awarded an additional £19.5 million on February
12<sup>th</sup> to provide continued support to manufacturing companies within the
sector until end of March 2017. This brings the total RGF funds awarded to the Textile
Growth Programme in support to the textile industry to £32.3 million.</p><p> </p><p>On
Government support for skills, there is already a wide range of textile, fashion and
design provision available at levels 2 and 3 (including access courses) in further
education colleges. There are currently apprenticeship frameworks, both intermediate
level 2 and advanced level 3, in Fashion and Textiles. There were 170 starts in 2013/14.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In line with apprenticeship Trailblazer reforms we have given
the fashion industry approval to develop an apprenticeship standard for a fashion
studio assistant, and the level 3 apprenticeship standard is currently in development.
The British Fashion Council is fully engaged in this work, and is considering a bid
for support to develop higher level apprenticeships, possibly to degree level.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>BIS awarded Huddersfield & District Textile Training Centre
(Textile Centre of Excellence) £2.28 million under the Round 1 Employer Ownership
Pilot (EOP) to improve education of the industry including a programme of school engagement;
encouraging employers to take on school leavers and graduates and develop a new pre-apprenticeship
programme plus new apprenticeship model at level 2 and level 3. The project recorded
a range of successful outcomes, and the Centre of Excellence will continue to provide
its services to the sector now EOP project funding has ended.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
</p><p>In Q4 last year, two Textile projects were approved through the Local Response
Fund Scheme with a total value of over £253,000.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Manchester
College was awarded nearly £180,000 to develop the Textiles Task Force. It will work
with the Alliance Project to address immediate skills shortages reported across the
textiles sector and to support workforce development and employee progression.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>NWTexnet was also awarded over £75,000 for “Dynamic Portfolio
Management”. This will enable the integration of new product development with a strategy
for re-shoring manufacturing capacity. It will significantly rationalise the approach
to product development and manufacturing in the sector while helping to up-skill staff
so that the workforce is in place to take advantage of these re-shoring opportunities.</p><p>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>As part of the Sector Mentoring Fund, Manchester Economic Solutions
Ltd was awarded the sum of £77,500 in January 2014 to deliver Mentor Tex – Textile
industry mentoring programme in key areas such as Greater Manchester, Lancashire and
Yorkshire. The scheme has attracted interest from a wide range of textiles businesses,
with 35 mentees identified of which 23 have completed full profiles, 10 mentors identified
with 7 completing full profiles.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>With regard to support
for innovation, Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency and the prime channel through
which the Government stimulates and supports business-led technology innovation. Companies
in the sector can apply to its responsive support programmes such as Smart and Innovation
Vouchers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Centre of Excellence in Huddersfield and
the University of Leeds have already invested £6M and £4.2M, respectively, in textile
infrastructure development and innovation. They have become a focus for skills training
and technical and design innovation in the UK.</p><p> </p>
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