UKFT held its first Education Partner Conference on 20 May bringing together a wide cross-section of representatives from the UK fashion and textile education and training landscape, including leading universities (such as London College of Fashion, Central St Martins, De Montfort, Leeds, Northumbria and Manchester), specialist institutions (like JCA Fashion Academy, The Tailoring Academy, and The College of Master Kilt Tailors), industry training providers (including Fashion Enter and The Sewing Rooms), and national organisations such as IfATE and The King’s Foundation.

The conference focused on aligning education and skills development with the evolving needs of the UK fashion and textile industry. Key topics included the national skills agenda, the newly approved National Occupational Standards, UKFT’s careers initiatives and the UKFT Academy. Sessions and breakout groups explored how to bridge gaps between education, research, training and industry, identify targeted interventions, address structural barriers, and maintain momentum in improving the sector’s education and skills landscape.

During the conference UKFT outlined the findings of a new report, convened via a working group to address concerns from higher education institutions about how graduate job outcomes in fashion and textiles are classified in the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey. The group found that many graduate roles are misclassified as negative outcomes, despite being recognised by industry as graduate-level jobs, leading to reputational and recruitment risks for affected courses. The resulting detailed report outlines a series of recommendations, including reclassifying key job roles, influencing ONS classifications and improving sector understanding through dedicated resources.

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