November 19, 2009    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA, ON - The Skills and Learning Sites and Portals initiative was recently recognized with a prestigious "Best Results of a Learning Program" award from Brandon Hall, an international leader in training and development. The initiative was one of only five winners in this category, highlighting the unique partnership between the Textiles Human Resources Council and the Canadian textile industry.

"This initiative has been an important component of our efforts to create a learning culture for the textile industry," said Peter Kraus, Manager of Canadian Fibre Operations at INVISTA (Canada) and the Council's industry co-chair.

The Canadian textile industry faces the multiple challenges of rapidly changing technology, an aging workforce, intense international competition, rising energy prices and a fluctuating dollar. Canada's textile manufacturers recognize that a skilled and adaptable workforce is a key competitive advantage, laying the foundation for initiatives that support a culture of continuous learning in the workplace.

The award recognizes the industry's collaborative effort to develop a comprehensive learning infrastructure in textile workplaces, including both physical learning sites and an online learning system. The Skills and Learning Sites and Portals initiative provides employees at all levels with around-the-clock access to a wide range of customizable programs, performance support and communications tools in English and French.

The Brandon Hall Excellence in Learning Awards are presented annually to companies and learning organizations around the world. Now in its fifteenth year, the awards program showcases innovative learning content and initiatives. Winners in 2009 included IBM, Sun Microsystems, IKEA and Cisco Systems in various categories.

The Textiles Human Resources Council is a non-profit partnership led by chief executives and union leaders committed to developing innovative skills solutions for the textile workforce. With partial funding from the Government of Canada's Sector Council Program, the Council partners with textile companies to bring comprehensive learning solutions to the workplace.