UK
The Textile Services Association (TSA) autumn conference, held at Ardencote Manor in Warwickshire, 18 September, was a high point for the association on many fronts. Opening the event, Charles Betteridge, TSA Chairman (pictured), welcomed delegates alongside CEO David Stevens, and reflected on the past 12 months, saying frankly: “The TSA car had taken a wrong turn. It wasn’t actually in the ditch, but maybe had its wheels in the air. It was time for a change of driver, but it is difficult to find a CEO for a trade association. You can’t go to Tesco and pick one up there.
“Thank goodness we found David who is doing a fantastic job. He is someone who can talk about laundry and that makes a big difference to us. And he is enjoying it…he has the keys to the TSA car and it is back on the road. Not in the fast lane but that is deliberate as you will hear.”
Picking up the metaphorical baton form Betteridge, Stevens told the room: “The pre-conference dinner last night saw 91 attending, including new members Euroclean, Bryant Plastics as well as PHS and OCS whch have not officially signed up yet, and are in talks now. It is a record turnout this year.” He added that supplier partners are a massive support to TSA both financially and technically where their niche expertise is invaluable in TSA Knowledge Networks.
Apprenticeships
On apprenticeships, it is full steam ahead according to David Kinson, TSA learning advisor, who stressed the importance of young person engagement: “Work is continuing and continuing well…Textile care operative level 2 standard apprenticeships is now up and running with a big milestone coming in March 2020 when the first cohort of apprentices will be ready for assessment. A Trailblazer group is putting standards together. NTG has been engaged to deliver training and then end point assessment.”
TSA Skills & Education Group is now actively recruiting assessors and welcomes enquiries from people who are semi-retired or retired from the sector and who meet the below criteria:
- Are independent of the apprentice, their employer and training provider.
- Hold, or be working towards, an assessor qualification and have had training from their EPAO in terms of good assessment practice, operating the assessment tools and grading.
- Have relevant experience of working in the textile care sector in a management or technical consultant position.
- Have knowledge of current industry, ie, worked within the sector within the past five years or able to evidence up-to-date knowledge gained through exposure to the industry and/or training.
- Undertake a minimum of two days EPAO standardisation training a year.
Contact David Kinson at davidkinson@aol.com
The full report on the TSA Autumn conference will be featured in the October issue of LCN
