Equal-Works

Background

The Equal Round One project TASk evidenced that within the sector there is a lack of IT skills and a low level of education, together with a poor understanding of the role of IT.

The 2004 Skillfast survey identified that although technical skills have strategic importance to SMEs in the textile industry, there is a lack of relevant technical courses and the sector lacks training infrastructure. Barriers that prevent the sector from developing to its full potential include:

• training barriers due to time and cost constraints
• lack of provision for highly specific technical training needs
• lack of training infrastructure
• SMEs get little innovation help from universities.

In an increasingly competitive global market, it is vital that companies continue to adapt and innovate, competing on functionality and distinctiveness rather than purely on price. Knowledge for Innovation (K4I) has been helping SMEs in England to adapt to some of these challenges facing the textile industry.

One of the most vital tools in the innovation process is education. Unfortunately, many small businesses are unable to afford the high costs of specialised textile courses, or have staff who work long and/or irregular hours, making training difficult to co-ordinate.

Aim

K4I aimed to develop and test methodologies that will help textile SMEs and their employees to adapt to structural economic change and use IT and other new technologies. The project addressed ways of helping textile SMEs to develop their innovative capacity, so that they can improve their inclusive working practices and their technology, and become able to adapt and diversify into high added-value markets.

Objectives 

• To create the Knowledge Bank: a set of high-quality, cost-effective, web-based training materials available to companies and their staff, 24/7. The Knowledge Bank is unique in that its development has been informed by extensive consultation within the textile industry and its purpose is to support their particular needs.
• To develop training micro-modules within the Knowledge Bank that allow SME owners and employees to select modules and study at times and places to suit their individual circumstances and give access to a unique range of material.
• To support textile SMEs by mentoring them through the technology innovation process.

Target groups

Employers and employees in the textile industry, focusing on SMEs.

The William Lee Innovation Centre is a multidisciplinary research centre based within the School of Materials, Textiles and Paper at the University of Manchester. The centre was originally created by UMIST within the Department of Textiles in February 2002, and is a recognised centre of excellence for research into fibre assemblies involving smart and intelligent knitted materials.

Because most textiles companies in the UK are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with insufficient resources to conduct their own research and development, the centre performs a vital role: as well as conducting innovative research, it also serves to translate this research into practical solutions for industry. The partnership has been brought together to work with the centre to address practical solutions to the training needs of the industry.

• The Scan2Knit compression stocking for venous ulceration sufferers was developed via the Industry Innovation Unit (Knowledge For Innovation Project Overview CD-ROM). The system has been voted one of the top new innovations by Future Materials magazine and the product will soon be available commercially. 
• The Knowledge Bank portal was trialled by 15 companies, providing free, high-standard education to businesses too small to be able to invest in staff training (see Knowledge For Innovation Project Overview CD-ROM for case study examples).
• University of Manchester students are now learning about textiles with the Knowledge Bank portal.
• The Access to Innovation seminar enabled working relationships to be formed between universities and businesses.
• Formation of long-term domestic and international partnerships.