The Role TTNA Plays with Training
The Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Association (TTNA) is a national industry association representing the collective interests of the Australian Technical Textiles and Nonwoven industry.

There is little doubt that education and training play a significant role in assisting the technical textiles and nonwoven industry to meet the challenges faced by manufacturing. The TTNA looks closely at emerging needs in order that management and workforce skills match these changes in business operations and systems. For the future, the industry requires a rising number of skilled workers who are able to cover broad areas of employment with the support of flexible training. A responsive educational and training system is crucial to all manufacturing industry sectors, as is ongoing dialogue between industry and training providers. To this end, the TTNA participates in the Manufacturing Skills Australia Industry Advisory Committee (MSA-IAC) in order to contribute to the VET system for the betterment of the Australian technical textiles and nonwoven industry. In early 2006, a survey was undertaken of the TTN industry, as an example of the collaborative relationship between MSA and TTNA. Indeed, this survey has provided valuable knowledge of industry’s needs and hopefully, will be the impetus to fully utilise the VET system, including investigating ways by which prior knowledge and short courses can lead to accreditation so that workers can be adequately qualified.

Additionally, the TTNA has been able to provide training in areas that weren’t provided by the VET system by accessing support from the International Fibre Centre (IFC). The objective of the IFC is primarily to support and facilitate access to education and training programs relating to textile processing and manufacturing from fibre to fabric, for use by the Australian fibre and textile industry and Australian tertiary educational institutions, and to design, introduce and manage funding programs in relation to such education and training.

In this spirit, support from the IFC has enabled the TTNA to deliver a number of relevant short courses on specific themes such as “coating and laminating” and “test methods”. Another example is the successful collaboration with both RMIT and the IFC to deliver the European Nonwovens & Disposables Association (EDANA) nonwoven course twice in Melbourne. All aspects of nonwoven technology and production were covered in this comprehensive three day training. This successful event was also the catalyst behind the International Fibre Centre investing in a “home-grown” version that will be delivered at CSIRO during July 2006. Furthermore, IFC funding provided an opportunity for a number of industry personnel to train in product development at the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Centre at the University of North Carolina.

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