NEW YORK CITY — September 11, 2020 — The Woolmark Company has launched its free online learning portal to educate along the global textile supply chain. The Woolmark Learning Centre offers an unprecedented level of transparency within the industry, designed for students studying fashion, agriculture, science and textile engineering; designers, brands and retailers; and manufacturers of yarn, textiles and garments.
The platform is an intuitive digital solution hosting in-depth knowledge on specific areas of the supply chain. Developed by industry experts, the coursework covers on-farm learnings and the science of the wool fiber; the manufacturing supply chain from early-stage processing through to textile and garment production; textile innovations and in-depth design coursework. The platform is structured to facilitate both fundamental and masters-level education.
Established and emerging industry leaders have contributed to the development of the platform, with The Woolmark Company utilizing its wide network of experts to share exclusive insight and experience of the industry.
Featured alongside the in-depth coursework, the platform hosts the video-format Insight Series, launching with leading fashion designers Roland Mouret, Edward Crutchley and Colovos duo Michael and Nicole Colovos along with iconic fashion writer and curator Colin McDowell sharing never before aired in-depth conversations about their inspiration, education and future-forward businesses.
Developed in response to the global shift in education towards agile, self-paced, digital learning, the platform will work to unify the global textile supply chain.
“Technology has revolutionized teaching and learning,” explains The Woolmark Company’s General Manager for Education and Innovation Julie Davies. “Studies show that online learning increases retention rates by 25 percent to 60 percent1 and by providing free, expert-led digital education, the Woolmark Learning Centre allows knowledge transfer along the global textile supply chain to bridge knowledge gaps within the industry.”
To ensure that the platform will service the needs of users, two learning pathways have been integrated into the site. Traditional front-to-end learning supports users who want an immersive learning experience, whilst the searchable learning function services users who need specific information and will allow users to find coursework of relevance to them. Courses can be completed in the user’s own time. All coursework is accredited independently by Credly, an internationally recognized issuer and moderator of digital badges. Once accreditation has been gained, users can elect to share their badge on digital media or demonstrate it on digital portfolios.
Teachers and facilitators will have further access to resources including in-depth facilitator guides and presentation slides, videos, practical demonstrations and materials and resources to support the integration of the Woolmark Learning Centre into their teaching.
Education is a key strategic pillar of The Woolmark Company business model. The company works to educate across the global wool supply chain to build awareness of wool’s benefits, provide resources to educate the supply chain and encourage expertise in wool use to discover new opportunities for wool applications.
1 Research Institute of America.
Posted September 15, 2020
Source: The Woolmark Company
