The Leicester branch of the FTA – the Fashion Hub has had a busy month with attendees on the Skills Bootcamp, Numeracy, stitching and patterns courses. Here, Fashion Hub, Assistant Manager, Divya Kamath discusses recent events…
‘The Leicester Adult Education team came in to film a selection of our learners to hear their opinions on the Numeracy in Fashion and Textiles course we deliver at Leicester Fashion Hub. Our learners were very proud that they were invited to be filmed to speak about our courses and how we have helped them to gain confidence, skills and knowledge.
‘Learner Mathanika said that she used to hate maths but now, after taking the Numeracy in Fashion and Textiles course she has started to love it. Previously she wasn’t aware of how maths related to Fashion and Textiles, the course has helped her to gain the knowledge in converting centimetres to inches, standard minute value, costings and garment lifecycle procedures.
‘Our current cohort of Skills Bootcamp learners have successfully completed the course and are now looking forward to getting into employment. Participants on the course gained current manufacturing skills and learned how to make a complete garment.
‘It was fantastic to see our learners interviewed by university researchers to discuss the positive side of the garment industry. After all the bad news relating to the garment industry in Leicester, we are pleased that these researchers are putting their efforts into the good things/positive side of the industry. Learners were very happy to engage with them and this also built their confidence.
The university researchers commented:
“It was wonderful to see how they understand the significance of their skills and how highly both they and their families regard them. Their enthusiasm and passion for the industry was truly inspiring, and we were honoured to hear their insights.
“It’s evident that the academy is doing a fantastic job of nurturing a strong sense of value and appreciation among the learners. This is exactly what our research aims to highlight—the need for social justice for workers and the importance of enhancing their sense of self-worth, confidence, respect, and esteem.”
‘It was also great to collaborate with SIRM Institute, Leicester. On 26th February, we had a seminar from SIRM to explain how they can help our learners on further higher-level courses. Our learners, who foremost have a passion for fashion and textiles, have been disappointed that we could not offer them further training after the Level 2 courses. This will be next step now. Once they finish Level 2 with us, they can go on higher level courses with SIRM. This will provide the opportunity for our learners to develop their careers in fashion and textiles if they choose to.’
If you would like to visit or enquire about courses / services at the Leicester Fashion Hub please contact: Divya: divya@fashion-enter.com
Fashion Hub, Phoenix House, 2nd floor, 9 King Street, LE1 6RN.