David Beckham and Adwoa Aboah help launch new BFC Fashion Studio Apprenticeship

British Fashion Council (BFC) Ambassadorial President David Beckham and Ambassador for Positive Fashion Adwoa Aboah attended the official launch of the Fashion Studio Apprenticeship at Prendergast Vale School in Lewisham today.

The launch was also attended by BFC CEO Caroline Rush and NEWGEN designers Richard Quinn and Rosh Mahtani (Alighieri), along with Paolina Russo, part of MakerLab Presents: Here to Create project and UKFT CEO Adam Mansell.

Announced in February, the Fashion Studio Apprenticeship is part of the BFC’s Education Pillar which gives young people a clear understanding of how to train for a plethora of industry roles within the creative industries.

"It is incredible to be able to support career opportunities for young people who might not want to pursue higher education. There are a lot of roles out there that need to be filled by skilled workers; the fashion industry is highly dependent on those roles and we hope that this will strengthen our industry and make it more accessible by being able to offer this exciting new Fashion Studio Apprenticeship," explained Rush.

Richard Quinn, David Beckham, Adam Mansell

Beckham said: “Fashion is an industry that should be open to everyone - no matter what their background is or where they are from. I hope that this new apprenticeship programme from the BFC will give even more kids the chance to thrive and be creative. We have such an amazing fashion industry in this country, it’s something we should really be proud of and protect. These kids are the future, it’s been an inspiring morning.”

Aboah added: “I am proud to be part of an industry that has so many facets to it. The Fashion Studio Apprenticeship is proof that not every role in fashion needs an academic degree and that our industry is one that is open to everyone, no matter their background. It is fantastic to be able to support this initiative as part of my role as BFC Ambassador for Positive Fashion.”

Adwoa Aboah

Designed by a group of fashion employers, with the BFC, the apprenticeship starts in the heart of a designer business: the studio, to learn how a collection is created. The Fashion Studio Assistant is a key position in the designer industry, working with the team that creates a collection. For the first six months, the apprentice will complete a foundation, which will include core elements of the job role such as critical path management and health & safety measure. This will lead to 12 months in a more focused area of the business, with the apprentice choosing to specialise in one of three pathways:

• Product Development and Production
• Sales and Operations
• Fashion Marketing and Communications

Following on from the 18-month training the apprentice will undertake an Independent End-Point Assessment that has been derived by industry experts in this field. The assessment will be taken in 2 steps:

• Work Based Project (Including Presentation and Discussion)
• Practical Test

The grades for both elements will be combined to confirm the overall achievement of Fail, Pass or Distinction.