“LICENCE TO SEW”: THE SEWING ROOMS AWARDED GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO BRIDGE SKILLED WORKFORCE GAP

The Sewing Rooms, an award-winning social enterprise based in Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, is set to address the critical shortage of skilled sewing technicians in the region. Securing funding from the UK Government Levelling Up Shared Prosperity Fund, The Sewing Rooms will provide free skills training, leading to a recognised industry qualification. This initiative aims to empower local individuals with the expertise needed to pursue rewarding careers in the sewing and manufacturing industry.

Paula Gamester MBE, Chief Executive of The Sewing Rooms, highlighted the pressing need for skilled sewing machinists. “Recognising the shortage in our community, we collaborated with Redwood TTM, a prominent local manufacturing company facing challenges in recruiting skilled sewing machinists. When we were approached, we were delighted to accept the initial challenge and to explore the further potential for other local businesses and the wider community.”

Rachel Idle – Group HR Manager for Redwood Group of Companies, explains the driver behind the initiative. “Redwood TTM relies on its skilled Industrial Sewing Machinists and post Brexit, it had become increasingly difficult to recruit in that area. I was aware of the great work that UKFT do in looking to raise the profile of careers with the textiles industry and I reached out to Celia Thornley, their Skills and Training Manager. When Celia informed me of her collaboration with The Sewing Rooms to produce a formal industrial sewing qualification, it became apparent that we had a really exciting opportunity on our hands.”

Celia Thornley, Senior Skills, and Training Manager at UKFT, said: “This is great news for sewn product manufacturing businesses across the West Lancashire region. These businesses need serious backing when it comes to recruitment, tackling skills shortages and building a talent pipeline for future growth. This project will provide this much needed support, and it is inspiring and encouraging to see acknowledgement of these issues at the highest level within the local authority”.

The Sewing Rooms have successfully secured funding from West Lancashire Borough Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, to address paving the way for the implementation of the “Licence to Sew” qualification for West Lancashire residents to seek a new opportunity to upskill. The program, delivered over ten weeks, encompasses a comprehensive curriculum to meet the specific demands of local manufacturing businesses. The training includes tutor-led sessions, self-directed online modules, and practice sessions tailored to Redwood’s and industry quality standards.

Key components of the “Licence to Sew” qualification include:

      •     The Role of a Production Sewing Machinist

      •     Industrial Sewing Machines

      •     Industrial Sewing Techniques

      •     Quality and Quantity Standards

      •     Fabric and Materials Proficiency

      •     Employability Skills and Workplace Procedures, including Health and Safety

The UKFT “Licence to Sew” training course features contributions from industry insiders such as BBC’s The Great British Sewing Bee’s Patrick Grant.

“We are thrilled to contribute to the growth of our local industry by training individuals who will become valuable assets to businesses like Redwood TTM. The ‘Licence to Sew’ qualification is a testament to our commitment to address workforce challenges and enhance the skill set of our community,” Paula Gamester added.

Cllr Rob Molloy (Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration) said, “The Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Funding aims to support Local Businesses, Communities, Place and People. This unique programme has helped to identify a skills gap across a critical sector, with challenging roles to fill. The mission is to upskill local people into local jobs, and build a cultivated workforce that propels and retains high productivity businesses in West Lancashire, whilst increasing and sustaining the economic growth within the borough. We’re really pleased to be working with local partners to deliver this unique programme, to support businesses and help to create skilled employment opportunities for our residents.”

The Sewing Rooms invites interested individuals to take advantage of this unique opportunity for personal and professional development.

For more information or to enrol in the program, please contact paula@the-sewing-rooms.co.uk