The UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT) held its fourth annual Education Partner Conference on 19 May at The University of Manchester, bringing together more than 70 representatives from across the UK fashion and textile skills and training sector for a day focused on collaboration, future skills and shared opportunities.

Attendees included representatives from Higher Education, Further Education, private training providers, research centres, industry and government bodies, including Skills England and Jisc.

John West, Director of Skills and Training at UKFT, reinforced the organisation’s role as the Government-appointed Sector Skills Body for the fashion and textile industry, supporting employers, educators and policymakers on skills development and workforce planning across the UK.

The opening speech highlighted UKFT’s work developing standards, skills interventions and training programmes to address both immediate and long-term workforce needs, while strengthening collaboration between education and industry partners.

“We are here to help and support educators as well as the industry. We are the glue that brings you all together,” said John.

His speech also reinforced UKFT’s commitment to collaboration across its Education Partner network.

“I have always wanted the Education Partner membership to be built on a two-way collaboration. Our door is always open, and we very much hope your door is open too. Together, as a collective, we can make a real difference.”

Opening sessions focused on sector collaboration and future skills

The conference opened with a welcome from Jo Conlon, Reader in Fashion Education and Social Value at The University of Manchester.

The keynote, delivered by Adam Mansell, CEO at UKFT, highlighted the national significance of the UK fashion and textile industry, which contributes £62 billion GVA to the UK economy, supports 1.3 million jobs and generates £23 billion in tax revenue.

The presentation also outlined UKFT’s work connecting industry, education and government through its role as Sector Skills Body for fashion and textiles. This includes chairing the Department for Business and Trade skills working group, supporting graduate outcomes initiatives, workforce development and encouraging new talent into the industry.

Research projects, working groups and collaborative partnerships were highlighted as important tools for strengthening links between education providers, employers and future talent pipelines.

Sector skills and graduate outcomes

Kirsty Woollaston, Senior Product Manager for the creative, digital, finance and business sectors at Skills England, shared updates on apprenticeship reform and wider developments within the skills system, including changes intended to improve flexibility and employer engagement.

UKFT has worked closely with Kirsty in recent years to support the development of Apprenticeship Standards in England across the creative pathways.

Sinead Gabb, Senior Data Quality Analyst at Jisc, presented on the Graduate Outcomes survey and the role of graduate destination data in understanding how careers across fashion and textiles are classified and recognised. The session explored how improved data and greater awareness can better reflect the breadth of career pathways within the industry.

This follows a working group facilitated by UKFT on behalf of the Education Partner Network to examine the challenges fashion and textile departments face with the current Graduate Outcomes Survey conducted by Higher Education Statistics Agency.

UKFT is also working with Jisc to improve how graduate employment outcomes are understood and measured for fashion and textile courses, with a focus on ensuring specialist industry roles are accurately recognised within national Graduate Outcomes data.

Bridging the gap between education and industry

Alice Welsh, Skills & Training Careers Manager at UKFT, led a panel discussion on graduate expectations and industry realities, featuring speakers from Abraham Moon & Sons, JD Sports, AW Hainsworth and Heathcoat Fabrics.

Claire Burns, People Director at Abraham Moon, discussed how the company has adapted its recruitment approach to place greater emphasis on attributes and transferable skills.

Ricky Devonish, Head of Apprenticeships and Emerging Talent at JD Sports, shared insights into the retailer’s JD Up initiative, which has developed into a two-day careers event in Manchester engaging more than 11,000 young people. The programme introduces young people to career opportunities across retail, logistics, studios, gyms and head office functions.

Charlotte Dudill, Head of HR at AW Hainsworth and Richard Crane, Technical Director at Heathcoat Fabrics, also highlighted the value of placements, work experience and workplace readiness, alongside the importance of stronger collaboration between employers, universities, colleges and training providers.

Sustainability, regulation and circularity

Sustainability and circular economy skills were recurring themes throughout the conference.

Lizzy Dakin, Sustainability Manager at UKFT, presented findings from the organisation’s latest industry sustainability survey, which identified increasing pressure on businesses from skills shortages, administrative burdens and complex data requirements. Key themes included ESG reporting, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), digital product passports (DPP), transparency, traceability and circular systems.

The session also highlighted innovation priorities across the industry, including textile recycling, lower-impact dyeing and processing technologies, next generation materials and supply chain transparency.

Michael Cusack, Head of Sustainability at ACS Clothing, shared how the organisation used B Corp certification to support business transformation and strengthen its circular business model. The presentation explored workforce practices and operational measures to reduce water use, carbon emissions and waste while building an inclusive workforce.

A further session from Ava Kenny-Colwell, Compliance Manager at UKFT, examined the evolving regulatory landscape affecting fashion and textiles, including the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the growing importance of compliance and sustainability-related skills.

Amanda Briggs-Goode, Head of Department for Fashion, Textiles and Knitwear Design at Nottingham Trent University, presented recommendations from a recent Back to Baselines in Circular Fashion & Textiles project, which explored the skills needed to support the sector’s transition towards more sustainable and circular ways of working.

The findings identified four key future skills areas: technical skills, specialist sustainability knowledge, cross-functional collaboration and behavioural capabilities such as systems thinking and decision-making. The research also highlighted skills gaps in legislation, compliance, circular design, manufacturing processes, recycling systems, traceability and data-led decision-making.

The project called for closer collaboration between industry and education providers, greater integration of sustainability skills into curricula and increased investment in workforce development.

Manufacturing innovation and product development

Future manufacturing technologies and advanced production systems formed another major focus of the conference.

Jody Turner, Technical Lead at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), shared insights into its work supporting manufacturers through innovation, research and technology adoption. The session explored developments in composites, weaving, automation, robotics, additive manufacturing and digital manufacturing technologies, alongside the AMRC’s Factory of the Future capabilities.

Celia Thornley, Head of Skills & Training at UKFT, explored developments in sewing automation and intelligent manufacturing systems, including intelligent lockstitch and overlock machines, semi-automatic sewing systems and fully automated machinery designed to improve production efficiency.

The session also addressed the technical challenges involved in automating complex sewing tasks, including fabric handling and stitching precision, and considered the continuing importance of human creativity, technical expertise and craftsmanship within garment production.

The session introduced UKFT’s updated Production Sewing Machinist Programme for 2026, covering health and safety, sustainability, industrial sewing machinery, quality control, materials knowledge and employability skills.

Laura Fish, Founder of Fashion Toolbox, focused on product development skills and the increasing demand for technical understanding, digital fluency and cross-functional collaboration within modern product development roles.

Her presentation highlighted the importance of combining 3D design, technical training and pattern cutting knowledge to improve fit, workflow efficiency and communication across product development teams. She also discussed the need to strengthen links between industry practice and education delivery to better prepare learners for evolving digital workflows.

Growing Education Partner network

The conference concluded with an update on the UKFT Approved qualification recognition initiative and the continued growth of the Education Partner network, which now includes almost 40 institutions and training providers across the UK.

New members joining the network since the previous conference include:

• Big Creative Academy
• Lamhan
• London Metropolitan University
• Royal College of Art
• Savile Row Bespoke Academy
• The King’s Foundation
• The Manchester College
• The University of Manchester
• Wigan and Leigh College

Closing the event, Tara Hounslea, Director of Communications at UKFT, encouraged attendees to continue building relationships across the network and work collectively to support the future resilience, sustainability and competitiveness of the UK fashion and textile industry.