CENTRE OF VOCATIONAL EXCELLENCE STATUS FOR TRAINING GROUP

The 2006 Awards ceremony at Huddersfield’s Textile Centre of Excellence was an extra special event this year as it marked the 30th anniversary of the Textile Training Group. which was also awarded full Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) status for Manufacturing Textiles by the Learning and Skills Council.   170 delegates from 54 businesses attended the event for the presentation of a wide range of awards that recognised learners’ achievements throughout 2006 .

Keynote speaker Kali Mountford, MP for Colne Valley, praised the work of the Group and stressed the importance of the CoVE which would play a vital role in ensuring that training was designed to meet the needs of industry by ‘driving the development of new content and new qualifications’.  Mrs Mountford also highlighted the importance of the Centre’s role in taking forward activity in the field of technical textiles which offered ‘tremendous new business opportunities for our local manufacturing companies’.

Jamie Petrie, the Head of Qualifications at Skillfast-UK echoed those sentiments and congratulated the Centre on the strength of the partnerships it had created with local colleges, universities and businesses which promised much for the future.

Paul Johnson, the Chairman of the Textile Training Group suggested that the event was a fitting tribute to the commitment of local companies who continued to invest in the skills that were needed to compete with the world’s best.  Mr Johnson suggested the industry would need to offer progression routes through to degree level if it was going to attract the right calibre of young people for the future.

The event also recognised 4 ‘Learners of the Year’ (pictured above). Andrew Coates of Riverstone Spinning Ltd, (Advanced Apprenticeship in Textiles), Darran Bartley of W.T Johnson & Sons Ltd, (Apprenticeship in Textiles), Clare Giles of Anita Masseralla Design (Apparel) and David Taylor of Thomas Chadwick, (Train2Gain programme).

For more information contact Richard Sykes at The Textile Centre of Excellence, Textile House, Red Doles Lane, Huddersfield HD2 1YF.

Telephone 01484 346500