Clothing guide to power Global Textile Academy
Small businesses in the clothing value chain will find low-investment, high-return practices in this new guide, launched in a webinar on 29 September.
Order cancellations and delays, business changes and job losses have taken a heavy toll on the sector in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Good Practices in the Global Apparel Industry advises manufacturers on how to move out of low-value contract production and take on additional roles across the clothing value chain.
The guide powers ITC’s new Global Textile Academy, a free online training service for small firms, business support organizations and training institutions working in the sector. The guide is being launched in a webinar on 29 September, and its contents will serve as the basis for numerous training courses. The guide also serves as an open-source platform. Apparel manufacturers as well as support institutions are invited to share their best practices with us, which ITC would then showcase of the academy.
‘With constant pressure on consumer prices, textile and clothing manufacturers have suffered. Manufacturers need new capabilities to provide value-added service to customers to remain profitable,’ said Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of ITC.
New technologies can save time and money, such as a programme to digitally fit new styles. New processes can boost competitiveness, such as direct-to-consumer marketing strategies.
These innovations are among 28 such good practices and 33 case studies in the guide, covering design and pre-production, quality, social and environmental sustainability, branding and marketing. Most opportunities require limited investment and provide high returns. Real-life examples demonstrate that most practices requiring investment have a payback period of less than one year.
The guide is a useful resource for training centres and universities that teach production, management, merchandising and design for the garment industry. It can also guide policymakers in countries that produce and export garments, to develop regulations that improve safety and competitiveness.
The guide was produced under the International Trade Centre’s Global Textiles and Clothing (GTEX) Programme.
