Since its inception, the THRC has built impressive industry collaboration and commitment, involving stakeholders from companies, unions, suppliers, educational institutions and related organizations.

These partnerships have supported the Council's efforts to develop and deliver a series of award-winning learning programs designed specifically to meet the human resource needs of the industry.

These have included:

Textile Management Internship Program - This post-graduate program for science and engineering graduates provided management training for young people to help meet the industry's need for well-trained professionals and managers. The program was named a National Winner of The Conference Board of Canada's Partners in Business and Education Award for 1999-2000.
Essential Skills Project - Work with fifteen textile companies to develop essential skills - including literacy, numeracy, communication, and computer skills - identified the needs of thousands of textile workers and tailored training to meet these needs. This process has laid the groundwork for web-based training that, in addition to essential skills, will address health and safety, quality control, the environment, and energy conservation.
Training Needs Assessment - Ensuring that training is appropriate to the needs of both the individual and the company, needs assessments provide insight into the specific requirements of each site. This program is being adapted to a web-based format to enable regular assessments with a minimum of outside assistance.
Occupational Profiles - Job competency profiles provide invaluable information on the knowledge and skills required for individual textile occupations (supervisors, mechanics, knitters, weavers, dyers and finishers). Ideal for companies to use in hiring, succession and human resources planning.
Textile Machine Specialist Program - This program was designed to provide comprehensive, industry-driven training for textile mechanics. Delivered onsite by company trainers, the program was customized to individual company requirements following workplace needs assessments. Training included hydraulics, pneumatics, basic electricity and other skills.
Textile Manufacturing Basics CD-ROM and User Guide - This innovative program is the first under the Council's Textile Training Through Technology quality standard. Providing interactive, computer-based learning on the fundamentals of textile manufacturing, this program is now in use by textile manufacturers, suppliers, users of textiles and educational institutions in more than 30 countries worldwide. It was awarded the Conference Board of Canada's 2002 National Award for Learning Technologies in the Workplace.

Click here to view other past initiatives.