NW Texnet, the cluster management organisation for England’s North West technical textiles sector, has secured funding in conjunction with Blackburn College, from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), to develop and deliver a foundation degree in Project Management for the technical textiles sector.

“The degree was proposed as a direct result of feedback we received from a range of companies when asked for their requirements from the region’s Higher Education Institutions. The degree will build on many of the skills currently being embedded into the sector via NW Texnet’s ASAM project,” says Bill Mills, Director of NW Texnet.

The degree is designed to benefit three main types of learner:

• Existing mature AFM employees who wish to up skill

• Apprentices wishing to move into Higher Education

• Students wishing to move into technical textiles

The degree will have 4 themes:

• Specialist knowledge required for technical textiles

• Project management set in the context of technical textiles

• Underpinning knowledge of textiles

• Planning and research skills combined with a work based evaluation

It is anticipated the project will commence teaching delivery in April 2010.