UK's first Fashion Technology Academy launches

The UK fashion and garment manufacturing sector is set to receive a boost with the launch of the UK’s first Fashion Technology Academy, which will give more than 200 people a year the opportunity to work in paid apprenticeships and gain highly sought-after professional qualifications in the fashion industry.

Run by social enterprise Fashion Enter, the Fashion Technology Academy will operate alongside a working factory and fashion studio, and will produce close to 400,000 garments a year for the likes of Marks and Spencer, Asos, Finery and Tesco from their North London-based factory.

The Fashion Technology Academy has received 570,000 pounds of investment from Haringey Council and the Department for Work and Pensions, to help convert a derelict industrial unit into a state-of-the-art garment factory and teaching space, equipped with pressing equipment, fusing boards, machine tools, CAD/CAM, and cutting branches.

With the work now completed the Fashion Technology Academy is hoping to give out up to 4,000 NVQ qualifications in the next four years, as well as give thousands of local residents the skills and experiences needed to break into the highly competitive and resurgent UK fashion industry.

The academy will help people work towards qualifications in pattern making, fabric inspection, laying and cutting, quality control, machine maintenance and stitching. It is hoped that this academy will help fill a skills gap identified by the British Fashion Council.

Fashion Enter launches the UK’s first Fashion Technology Academy

Joe Goldberg, Haringey Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social inclusion and Sustainability said: "It's fantastic that Haringey, with our proud textile heritage, is once again demonstrating our place at the heart of Britain's small scale manufacturing boom by attracting nationally unique businesses such as Fashion Enter to the area.”

Jenny Holloway, director at Fashion Enter added: “We really believe that the Fashion Technology Academy is the single most important initiative we have ever undertaken. We will be able to help thousands of people gain real work based skills that will lead to employment.

“With the on-shoring of garment manufacturing that is occurring now the timing of the Fashion Technology Academy is perfect. Our sincere gratitude to Haringey Council, Asos and DWP for their overwhelming support.”

The Fashion Technology Academy is an extension of Fashion Enter’s successful Stitching Academy, a collaborative apprenticeship and training facility set up in partnership with Asos.

Images: Fashion Enter