A new ?4.5 million three-year deal between the UK Government and the fashion and textiles industries to help beat skills shortages and build a world-class workforce, has been unveiled.

Skills Minister Lord Young said: "The Government values the important contribution the fashion and textiles industry makes to our national life, and is committed to working closely with the sector to help it to attract, train and retain quality staff. This compact will ensure that employers will have access to flexible, world-class training, tailored to the specific needs of their business, and delivered when and where they need it."

The deal was agreed by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Skillfast-UK, the Sector Skills Council for fashion and textiles.

The fashion and textiles sector, which contributes around ?0 billion to the UK economy each year, needs to recruit an estimated 34,000 new workers over the next five years.  It must also develop the skills of its existing workforce if it is to continue to compete successfully in profitable niche markets such as luxury branded apparel and accessories and technical textile development.  The new agreement is designed to support the industry in developing craft and technical skills to underpin that competitive edge.

Through the sector compact, Skillfast-UK has focussed the support and funding available through Train to Gain to support the priorities set out in its new skills strategy for the fashion and textiles sector. This strategy was developed by fifty of the sector's leading employers, draws on in-depth research, with a further 2,000 companies, into the skills and training issues faced by industry's businesses.