UK textile engineering apprenticeship is ‘first of its kind’
The curriculum for a new Level 3 apprenticeship course at Calderdale College in the town of Halifax, West Yorkshire, has been designed to train the next generation of local textile engineering technicians.
Co-developed by the UK’s Textile College of Excellence, British Textile Machinery Association and educators from the further education institution itself, the “first-of-its-kind” programme will commence next month.
The objective is to pass on the region’s technical know-how and time-honoured industrial heritage through “hybrid” vocational training, including “new skills demanded by Industry 4.0 and automation”, partly delivered through on-the-job training alongside partner employers.
Director of training at the Textile College of Excellence, Martin Jenkins, commented: “This programme will fill current and future skills gaps within [our] industry, in a specialised skill base that the sector has struggled to fill for many years.
“For the first time, it addresses the needs and complexities of both the textile and engineering sectors. We’ve already seen a high level of interest from both apprentices and employers and cannot wait to get started.”
Image: Calderdale College.
