FEL has continued to work and grow their range of qualifications in technical skills within the fashion industry and the core Awarding Body for technical skills is the Skills and Education Group, previously known as ABC Awards.
Over the last 12-years FEL has centred on technical skills of excellence and really push their learners into achieving the highest possible levels of skill attainment ensuring that they are ready for entry into work.
FEL only works with industry professionals that are retrained into tutors, teachers, assessors and IQA. Jenny explained why she chose this course of action for the high achieving Fashion Technology Academy:
“Working as both a senior buyer in fashion as well as being on the other side of the fence with manufacturing I realised that there is a mismatch with the standards and quality of attainments generally. I didn’t start Fashion-Enter Ltd to make a quick buck. I left a strong career in the corporate world because I really wanted to make difference in my life and just “do some good”.”
“FEL started as a support organisation for designers and we had shop at Croydon’s shopping mall Centrale. That was 17-years ago and now we employ over 125 people in Wales, Leicester, Haringey and Islington and in each centre we have a Fashion Technology Academy. I retrained as a teacher at a Level 5, an assessor and then IQA. That is the way we keep our standards exceptionally high. We also have well-being at the ethos of our company so we work with each learner to ensure there is real differentiated learning and we work to stretch and challenge in our own unique way.”
FEL reviewed a wide cohort of awarding bodies and centred on ABC Awards (now SEG) as they were the only vocationally based and flexible awarding body that FEL found.
Jenny continues: “SEG is different. We have a strong working relationship with the team and if we need help we know they are there. We went to SEG with a proposed Level 1 and 2 course in both stitching and patterns and I believe today these are the “best sellers” for SEG which I am personally delighted about as this reflects for demand for industrial stitching skills and pattern making – this hopefully translates into a return to the UK manufacturing in greater numbers.”
Each year moderations take place both at subcontracting levels with the main contractor, Matrix, SEG and UAL awarding bodies and of course Ofsted!
FEL has continually assessing and reassessing resources, pre entry and initial IAG, Mid IAG and exit IAG. They engage in unique chunking seminars and a host of free seminars and workshops that provides quality information for learners, designers and new start ups.
The quality assurance standards are set at different levels throughout FEL with regular CPD sessions for staff both on and off site, reviews by independent Compliance Officers that sits outside of the FTA, assessors, IQA and of course the QA officers from subcontractors.
It is therefore wonderful to receive such positive feedback from Kaye Jackson, Head of Relationship Management at Skills and Education Group:
“It is a pleasure to work with Fashion-Enter, we have a long-standing relationship, and they are making a real impact, growing the skillset of the textiles workforce. Provision has increased, starting with delivery in London to Wales and now doing great things in Leicester to grow the skills lost during the pandemic in stitching. They have delivered more than 680 certifications across Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications in Fashion & Textiles over the last two years and continue to grow and sharing their expertise wide. The quality of delivery is evidenced through successful moderations and recognition of this via the External Moderator report.”