The textile care industry is a global market that supports vital UK sectors such as hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing and food production.
The industry has companies that spread across throughout the UK and there is a need to ensure consistency of skill level for both Apprentices and more experienced workers. An Apprenticeship standard for the Textile Care industry is vital to encourage the next generation into this growing, critical production industry for the UK.
This article considers the importance of the textile care industry and its contribution to the UK economy and why high-quality apprenticeship training is essential.
What is the Textile Services sector?
The textile services sector encompasses the supply, rental, laundering and maintenance of textiles, including:
- flat linens to hospitals hotels and restaurants
- protective garments and branded workwear to industry and services
- mats, roller towels and washroom services to a vast range of sectors
Textile services: a key economic enabler
Every sector of the UK economy is a potential end market for textile services. Textile services is a core part of the supply chain for a number of strategically important sectors for the UK economy. Every hotel or hospital bed people sleep on, every table cloth in restaurants they eat off, and every commercial or industrial garment people wear to perform their duties, they are using rental textiles in some way or other.
In the healthcare sector, for example, where hygiene and infection control is paramount, the sector would not be able to safely function without bedlinens, surgical gowns and patient wear washed to very high specifications.
Good quality textile care is fundamental to the customer experience; whether it be a hotel, hospitality chain or healthcare provider. The industry therefore requires specialist knowledge and skills to ensure their products are delivered to the highest quality.
Textile Care Training
Whilst laundering is a core service provided by the sector, this is an oversimplification of the activity that takes place. Textile care involves highly automated systems with complex processes in order to meet customer requirements for cleanliness.
Furthermore, as the textile care industry evolves, there is an increased emphasis on new technology and practices across the commercial cleaning sector. Organisations and individuals alike must ensure they have the necessary skills and competencies to be able to provide their clients with the best service.
NTG Training are one of the first Apprenticeship Training Providers to offer the Textile Care Operative Level 2 training. Apprenticeships can be any age or experience who are either new to or currently working in the commercial cleaning industry.
The apprenticeship training course cost £4000 per apprentice. Levy-paying organisations can use their levy to fund the course. If you are a non-levy paying organisation you pay 5% towards the cost of training (£200), and the government will pay the remaining (95%).
The training course lasts for 13 months and is made up of a variety of modules that will cover the totality of industry standards.
Modules
- Industry/company background
- Health & Safety
- Communication
- Quality Standards
- Environmental practices
- Washing/cleaning/finishing processes
- Sorting/packing
- Machine breakdown
- IT and technology
Employment opportunities within the textile care industry
As of 2017, the sector directly employs 34,400 people and supports 43,370 FTE jobs.
Typical job roles in the textile care industry might include:
- Laundry Cleaning Operative
- Dry Cleaning Operative
- Wet Cleaning Operative
- Garment Cleaning Operative
Attracting workers into the industry at all levels will be important in overcoming any skills gap that commercial laundry and workwear manufacturers may be currently experiencing.
To find out more about a Textile Care Services Apprenticeship Training, contact our Customer Support team.
