The NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia) Textile Academy is located on the campus of the Hochschule Niederrhein (University of Applied Sciences) in Mönchengladbach, right next door to the Department of Textile and Clothing Technology. It started work at the beginning of this academic year with over 160 students from the industry. At a cost of approximately EUR 20m, the Münster-based North West German Textile and Clothing Industry Federation, together with its sister association in Wuppertal, has built its own dedicated vocational school for the sector.

The industry’s own vocational training

In the words of Federation President Dr Wilfried Holtgrave, “The industry is so small that it is nigh on impossible to offer specialised, textile-specific education in the state vocational colleges. At the same time, demands within our industry have increased as the textile industry has transformed itself into a high-tech sector.” A route out of this dilemma has now been developed in Mönchengladbach and the Federation is offering its own college-based vocational training for the membership, which totals close to 400 businesses between Cologne and Kiel.

Quantum leap in quality of vocational training

With trained industry-specific teaching staff and through close cooperation with their close neighbours at the Hochschule Niederrhein, the associations are hoping for a quantum leap in the quality of vocational training – and that includes practical training. The training takes the form of block instruction; students who cannot or do not wish to commute are provided with low-cost accommodation in Mönchengladbach.

Off to Mönchengladbach

“We know that we’re expecting quite a lot of the companies, and especially of the trainees,” says Holtgrave,”because in some cases they are a long way away from Mönchengladbach, but the better quality of vocational training at a well-managed and ultra-modern college more than makes up for this.”

The school meets the highest standards. Behind its spectacular textile façade, for example, lies a school without a single blackboard, for it relies entirely on digitalisation. A tablet is provided to each student, while projectors and smart boards replace blackboards and chalk.

“At the same time,” continues Holtgrave, “we have found some highly skilled and motivated teachers who, thanks to the relatively small size of the college, can look after the students in a far more individual and personal way.” Together with the University of Applied Sciences, the academy will offer a comprehensive range of vocational training, including dual degree programmes, using the University’s machinery and laboratory equipment, which is unparalleled in Europe in the field of textile and clothing technology.

Together, therefore, the Academy and the University will provide countless forms of interaction between trainees, students, teaching staff and guests of both institutions, all on one campus.

Seven recognised trades

This broad spectrum of qualifications and flexibility of courses makes it the only programme of its kind in Germany and provides the opportunity to gain training in the following trades:

– machine and plant operator in textile technology

– machine and plant operator in textile finishing

– textile product designer

– textile production mechanic

– textile product tester

– textile product finisher

– textile laboratory technician.

In order to expand this combination of textile technology centre, further education and training academy and university into the field of applied research, there is also a plan to set up a Fraunhofer Institute for Textile and Clothing Logistics at the site.