New College Lanarkshire is catwalking towards a brighter financial future by working with sustainable fashion company ACS Clothing to deliver an innovative new training programme that builds on Scotland’s efforts to create a circular economy.
The 'pathways to textile care and warehousing' course is delivered by the college’s access and progression department in conjunction with ACS and North and South Lanarkshire councils.
The course aims to provide training opportunities to increase employment pathways, particularly for young people with additional support needs, while at the same time contributing to Scotland’s drive to reduce carbon emissions.
Through undertaking a live work placement at ACS’s state-of-the-art warehouse at Eurocentral, the students enrolled in the programme are learning skills and knowledge to prepare them for a career in warehousing, logistics or sustainable fashion.
Since it was founded in 1997, ACS (Advanced Clothing Solutions) has grown to encompass more than 150 employees delivering a cleaning, packing, distribution and garment refurbishment service for well-known fashion brands.
Its 85,000-sqft facility at Eurocentral boasts ultramodern garment handling technology to extend the life of clothing, ranging from men’s formal wear and kilt hire companies to retailers such as LK Bennett, ASOS and Next.
Nine students from NCL’s Cumbernauld campus receive support from an employability job coach from North Lanarkshire Council, while a further seven students from its Motherwell campus are supported by a job coach from South Lanarkshire Council.
The full-time, one-year course has a strong vocational theme, with students working towards achieving a SVQ qualification (at SCQF Level 5) in either warehousing or textile care, in addition to gaining qualifications in first aid and health and safety.
As part of the induction to the course and work placements, ACS funded a four-day 'growth, resilience, independence and trust' programme at Dumfries House in Cumnock last October, enhancing the confidence of students and encourage them to build cross-campus friendships.
Job coaches from the respective councils support students on placement at ACS, in addition to helping students plan for their transition to employment on completion of the course.
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