Multiply is one of the first programmes funded via the governments UK shared prosperity fund (UKSPF). Multiply is a numeracy based programme and FCFTA created a course specifically for the textile and garment manufacturing sector.
Why is Numeracy Important?
Numeracy is the ability to understand and use maths in daily life, home and work. Whether that be improving household finances, helping children with homework, making more sense of the stats and facts in the media, or improving numeracy skills specific to your line of work.
People who improve their numeracy skills are more likely to be in employment, have higher wages, and better wellbeing and will be more able to progress to higher levels of free training to secure a skilled job in our economy.
Businesses who develop their employees’ numeracy skills can boost productivity, increase profits and improve employee retention.
Delivery:
Throughout March at the FCFTA in Leicester 10 learners have been part of the pilot. This is a 30 GLH course that covers the numeracy throughout the life of a garment – from concept to retail.
It was important to be deliver the pilot to learners with varying numeracy and learning knowledge; therefore the course was delivered to two different cohorts with different levels in maths. This is important to gauge the level of the course for future delivery.
Units covered included:
- Essential numeracy skills for fashion and textiles
- Understanding the garment lifecycle and creating a design and specification
- How to cost a garment and place orders
- Printing and production
- Fulfilment and delivery
- Sales and performance review
FEL Deputy CEO Jackie Bertram said: “This Multiply pilot has been created so that it can benefit people that currently work in the garment, textile or retail sector, to those that are keen to join the industry or start their own business and want to understand numeracy involved in textiles.
“Each unit could be delivered as its own standalone, to provide focus to a particular sector of the garment supply chain. Fashion and textiles is often thought of as a creative industry but numeracy is also part of the whole process. It has been great to pilot this course as part of the UKSPF.”
FTA Educational Assistant Manager Divya Kamath was part of the delivery team, she said: “This is a really amazing course. This course helped the learner to know the relationship between maths and the fashion industry, and how maths is implemented at each stage of garment life cycle.
“The cohort below entry level took more time and needed more support in completing the course compared to the second cohort. However, both the groups were fantastic and nicely engaged in group session activities. I really enjoyed delivering this course in a classroom environment with everyone getting used to calculator, measuring tape, calculation of percentages, ratios and costings. I am really grateful to Fashion-Enter in giving me this opportunity. I’m looking forward to delivering this course to more and more learners to improve numeracy and remove the fear that’s often attached to maths in general.”
One of the learner’s added: “This seminar has been helpful in understanding the process a garment goes through from making it to the selling process. Most importantly the costs involved.”