Read the story of Liam Booth and Josh Robinson, trainees at the global manufacturing company Milliken. Liam and Josh furthered their skills through UKFT’s Young Textile Technician Fund (YTTF), that covers 50% of the costs of training for young textile technicians.

Liam Booth is an Electrical Trainee Engineer at Milliken who recently completed his Installation Electrician and Maintenance Electrician Level 3 Apprenticeship. Via the YTTF Fund, he undertook training on the Tsudakoma weaving machine. This allowed him to grow his knowledge of textile manufacturing equipment, specific to the bury plant where he is working. Liam said about the course:

“A wonderfully practical course – both personally and professionally. The training has helped me to understand and operate textile manufacturing equipment, especially the bury plant. I feel much more prepared to deal with technical issues.”

Josh Robinson (31) is a Loom Technician at Milliken. He ensures that the looms run to optimum efficiency for the fabric being produced and is responsible for preparing everything for the weaving process to start. He works as part of a small but busy team of Loom Technicians. Josh also undertook in-depth training through the YTTF Fund. He said:

“The in-depth training has helped me to enhance my technical knowledge of the kit as well as strengthen the performance of the team. The lessons I’ve learned from working in an experienced team of Loom Technicians are invaluable.”

The Milliken team commented:

“This training is crucial to ensure that our production team maintains world class levels of performance through a greater understanding of our equipment capabilities.”

About Milliken

Milliken is a leading, global business recognised internationally for its textile products and specialty chemicals. They have factories all over the world, from the USA through to the UK, Europe and Asia. Their high-grade specialty fabrics combine comfort with practicality and protection for a wide range of sectors (automotive, military service, space and extreme environment exploration and many contact sports and tournaments).

UKFT’s Young Textile Technician Fund

UKFT’s Young Textile Technician Fund is designed to allow businesses across the UK to train their young textile technicians, predominantly in weaving positions. The fund will cover 50% of the costs of in-depth training for young textile technicians, thanks to the generous support of The Worshipful Company of Weavers, The Worshipful Company of Clothworkers and The Worshipful Company of Drapers.

Training is typically carried out by machinery builders, often at overseas training schools, and is extremely specialised. As companies invest in new textile technology, the requirement for highly-skilled textile technicians has never been more important but this type of in-depth training can be prohibitively expensive. UKFT’s fund allows businesses to extend their capabilities, increase flexibility and develop new skills at textile companies within the UK.

The fund is now open to businesses applying to train textile technicians under the age of 35. To find out more, email paula.mcilwraith@ukft.org.

Want to learn more about the Young Textile Technician Fund? Click on the link below:

Young Textile Technician Fund