Is vocational colour education worth the cost? 

Is colour education worth the cost? This is the question that our technical director, Andrew Filarowski, addressed in the April issue of Colourage.

If you missed the original article, you can catch up below.

The global coloration industry is complex and diverse – making it hard to generalise about trends and trajectories. However, at the SDC, we’re seeing many companies urging caution when it comes to investment, research and development. 

This is understandable on the back of a worldwide pandemic and in the face of continuing disruption and uncertainty in international commodities markets. But one way this prudency is playing out is in a reticence to invest in workplace education. 

While plenty of forward thinking companies continue to support their rising stars of the dyehouse, printworks or laboratory through higher-level, theoretical, educational programmes – and indeed are stepping up their offerings – others are wondering, is vocational colour education worth the cost? 

As long-time provider of workplace education and champion for the dyeing and coloration sector, the Society of Dyers and Colourists (SDC) launched the SDC Education Survey 2023, to get a clearer picture of global attitudes towards learning while earning.  

We know there is a skills gap within the textile dyeing industry – with a lack of qualified colour chemists coming through. We also know this gap is continuing to widen, putting our industry at risk of losing vital knowledge.  

Now is the opportunity to change this, but is the industry on board?  More than 100 professionals from 25 countries completed our survey, and the results are heartening. 

In short, an overwhelming majority believe passionately in the power of education. The good news is that many employers, whether commercial, non-profit, or state-run, prioritise the specialist learning of staff and are keenly aware of the benefits that well-qualified, and motivated employees bring in terms of furthering their growth in the workplace. 

Company directors and managers in the coloration sector to technicians, academics, students, and retired professionals, from dyehouses, universities and colleges, brands and retailers, print works, laboratories and chemical / dyestuff manufacturers and suppliers, all answered our questions. 

And a total of 78% of them asserted that the difficulties of the 2020s so far mean it is now more important than ever for innovative employers to educate their employees, and fund qualifications for key personnel. 

Investing for the longer term 

The vast majority of professionals answering our questions – 73.3% – state their organisation’s success was linked with the technical, educational attainment of well-qualified and motivated employees. 

More than three quarters of participants (76.1%) said their employer appreciated the benefit of having well-qualified staff – and were speaking from personal experience. 

Over half said they had an undergraduate degree from a university, and 8.6% reported that they held a doctorate. 8.6% had achieved Foundation Textile Coloration Certificate and/or Textile Coloration Certificate (FTCC/TCC) with the SDC, and 16.2% held our degree-equivalent Associateship of the SDC (ASDC). A total of 17.1% of participants were Chartered Colourists (CCol). 

Together, these industry representatives recognise the danger of ignoring educational opportunities for employees – and some suggested that business continuity itself could depend upon a healthy cycle of education.  

Putting ideals into practice 

Good news as this all is, it’s also apparent that ideals are not necessarily filtering through to day to day operations at many organisations. A total of 52 (48.5%) respondents stated that their company or organisation could be performing better, and that this was linked with under qualified or under experienced personnel. 

This suggests not enough companies and organisations are currently turning to education as the answer to our skills gap. Some owners and managers would love to fund such opportunities but are struggling to meet the related costs, with 46.6% of respondents believing that harsh trading conditions are making this hard or impossible.  

However, almost a quarter of professionals asked (23.8%) felt their workplace could fund qualifications but chose not to. If this is true, it is disappointing and short sighted, given the clear benefits that our participants have identified of on-the-job education to companies leading a compelling case in answering the question ‘to fund or not to fund’. 

Expert insight revealed 

We wanted to find out, from our knowledgeable global sample of the sector: “If an organisation does not invest in much workplace education for staff, what do you think could persuade or incentivise them?”  

A UK dyehouse technician suggested the clear availability of data that demonstrates the link between education and profit. One respondent said that such information could encourage budget holders to view education in the same light as capital investment, on a cost versus benefit basis — making clear to management and owners “what’s in it for them.”  

Meanwhile, a UK academic said: “This sadly comes down to cash,” and this conclusion was certainly echoed among many respondents. There were various suggestions about government grants, subsidies, and potential tax benefits to organisations, and achieving the buy-in of company directors.  

More information, perhaps in the form of presentations, from providers such as the SDC was also suggested. The question of affordability was also raised, alongside the ability to learn online. Some participants felt a progressive organisational mindset was an important prerequisite to a commitment to education.  

While state support for work-based learning in the coloration sector would require international sea changes in policy, calls for companies to tune in to the possibilities offered by education are encouraging — and inspiring.  

Towards an innovative future  

To sum up, the SDC believes, as do our respondents, that education for dyers and colourists is more important than ever before.  

The success of our sector, and the narrowing of our skills gap, depends  on well-educated professionals across the globe driving forward standards, sustainability, and innovation.  

Workplace education of the kind offered by the SDC does require an outlay — but this is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come. 

The key findings from the SDC’s education survey are now available to download free of charge from the SDC website, www.sdc.org.uk. 

The SDC’s Colour Education Pathway 

The SDC offers Foundation Textile Coloration Certificate and Textile Coloration Certificate (FTCC/TCC) and the honours degree equivalent Associateship of the SDC (ASDC) leading to Chartered Colourist (CCol) status, as well as a range of short courses, all detailed on the organisation’s Colour Network.  Those in the UK can get assistance covering up to 60% for the first two qualifications through The Worshipful Company of Dyers which offers help with funding via the Future Dyers’ Fund.