Rural Electrification Corporation (RECL), sponsored under its CSR, the training of 540 candidates belonging to SCs, STs backward classes, physically handicapped, minority, general (economically weaker) and other segments of society in longer-duration (6 months -720 hrs.) courses in production supervisor-sewing/apparel pattern making, basic course. The course was conducted by Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC), the largest vocational training provider in the apparel sector with over 200 ATDC centres across 23 states, 86 cities and 150 districts.

The ATDC which conducts employment linked vocational training programs to provide trained workforce to the apparel industry has since 1996 trained over 3 lakh candidates, including over 2 lakh candidates under Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) of the Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, thus providing placement mostly in export units. More than 80 per cent of candidates are women. Over 72 per cent of the trained candidates have been gainfully employed in the apparel sector.

Speaking on the occasion Darlie O Koshy, DG&CEO, ATDC thanked RECL for reposing confidence in ATDC to implement CSR initiative of RECL. He stated that ATDCs endeavour of providing skills to the youth of disadvantaged section of society are fully supported by AEPCs over 8,000 registered exporters by gainfully employing the ATDC trained candidates in various garment factories in most apparel clusters in the country.

Koshy further stated there are numerous success stories and many ATDC trained candidates have reached the position of factory head in many garment factories. With the quality of training provided by ATDC and 3rd party Assessment and Certification by NSDC (MSD&E, GOI) nominated AMH-SSC, trained candidates are getting employment in the apparel sector not only in India but also overseas.

Members and guests of the Southern Textile Association (STA) heard a variety of presentations during their recent Northern and Southern Division Fall Meetings in the US. Mary Lynn Landgraf, Senior International Trade Specialist, Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) in the US Department of Commerce, said the industry has an image problem in many ways, but letting people know that it’s a dynamic, growing industry is critical. Revealing data on buying attitudes toward American-made products, Landgraf said more than 80 per cent of Americans and a ‘surprising’ 61 per cent of Chinese say they would pay a premium for American-made goods in comparison to products made in China, according to a survey by Boston Consulting Group. She also shared a number of other surveys supporting this.

She said reshoring is real, based on OTEXA data, she added. The office tracks: 1) Who is coming back to the U.S, and why? and 2) Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). And the tides have begun to turn, she added. FDI has grown since 2014 and manufacturing innovation institutes have been created in the US. She also cited several factors that are driving industry back to the US., including: higher product quality and consistency; rising offshore wages; a skilled workforce; no issues with child labour; freight costs; shorter lead times; lower energy costs; minimal intellectual property and regulatory compliance risks; improved innovation and product differentiation.

Japanese used-clothing retailers are looking at enhancing exports in Southeast Asia. These retailers purchase unneeded clothes from consumers and resell them at their stores — which used to be mainly in Japan. Today they have seen that Southeast Asian markets are eagerly waiting to lap up used clothing. The Japan discards/burns around 1 million tonnes of clothes annually, however, by ensuring new markets, the efforts to encourage reuse of what would eventually be thrown away helps reduce environment pollution.

Don Don Up, a second-hand clothing store chain located in the Iwate Prefecture in Northern Japan, launched its Dondondown on Wednesday store in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in 2014. It now operates 12 stores in Cambodia aiming to increase it to around 50 by 2021. The retailer also plans to expand its footprint into Thailand, Vietnam and other countries in the region.

Don Don Up’s President Akifumi Okamoto says most people in Cambodia, even those who are strapped for cash, have smartphones, they now have access to sufficient information and have become conscious about what they wear and how they wear it. International fast-fashion brands are hardly seen in the country. This is another reason for the Japanese retailer to expand its footprint in this market where there is a rising demand for used clothing.

The retailer's policy is to ‘buy anything, other than underwear.’ At its 51 stores across Japan, the retailer never refuses to buy clothes brought in by consumers, even those other second-hand retailers would not accept, such as heavily damaged or stained items, as well as clothing with personal names marked on them. For ordinary clothing, Don Don Up pays up to 500 yen ($4.42) per kilogram. Branded clothing are priced separately. The retailer picks what it wants to resell in Japan. The rest are sent to its overseas outlets. Some of them are remade into different items. Don Don Up exported 2,865 tons of used clothing in the year through September. Treasure Factory, another second-hand retail clothing shop in Japan, now sells such used items in Thailand. In a smart move, the retailer's Thai outlet buys second-hand clothes locally and resells them to consumers there.

The Nigerian Textile Manufacturing Association (MTMA) lobbied for a ban on export of cotton from the country. MTMA’s Acting Director-General, Hamman Kwajaffa, points out such restriction was required as locally produced cottons are just enough for manufacturers of textile materials in the country. Kwajaffa spoke at a public hearing organised by the Abubakar Moriki led House of Representatives committee on industry considering a Bill for an Act to establish the national cotton, textile and garment (CTG) development council and standardization in CTG value chain and ways to achieving CTG self sufficiency in Nigeria.

Kwajaffa described the move to establish the CTG development council as a step in the right direction since it would create a suitable environment for the economy to grow. Stakeholders in the garment industry have welcomed the plan to establish CTG, as it would boost cotton production in the country.

Decrying the reliance on imported fabrics by Nigerians, she said it was unfortunate that Nigeria is yet to reap the benefits derivable from the African Growth Opportunities Act (AGOA) due to the reverses suffered by the textile and garment sector of the economy over the years.