The Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel (SLITA), the country’s leading apparel training body, is planning to expand its services to other markets across South Asia.
Established in 2009, SLITA has, to date, trained some 21,600 graduates and claims to be the only government institution engaged in training for the apparel and leather sectors. It is now preparing to collaborate with similar institutions in the region.
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The plans were unveiled by the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Rishad Bathiudeen, during a SLITA graduation ceremony last week.
“I am pleased to inform that the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel under the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is planning to expand,” Bathiudeen told those present.
“SLITA is planning to expand its services to [the] South Asian region and [is] preparing to establish links and collaborations with prestigious textile and apparel institutions in the region. SLITA is also planning to acquire degree awarding status to award apparel degrees.”
Bathiudeen also hailed the performance of the country’s apparel sector in the first half of 2018, noting total exports in January to June totalled US$2.4bn, up 5% compared to the same period last year.
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By GlobalDataHowever, in order to maintain this growth rate in the long term, Sri Lanka needs to look beyond its low cost of labour.
According to Sharad Amalean, chairman of the country’s Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF), there are a number of focus points.
“I’d like to make three suggestions for the next stage of Sri Lankan apparel sector,” he reportedly said during the graduation ceremony. “Increased adoption of digital platforms and e-commerce business for the sector. Secondly, speed and agility in our end-to-end courses. Thirdly, making Sri Lanka a total solutions hub – this is important.”
According to an overview of Sri Lanka on re:source, the new online strategic planning tool from the team behind just-style, apparel and textiles make up the country’s largest export sector, accounting for around 47% of total exports.
Sri Lanka’s success as a supplier has been bolstered by reliability, product innovation, design services, strict compliance with international standards, and investment in the industry’s first ‘green’ garment factories. The industry is moving from a manufacturer driven business to an end-to-end fully-integrated apparel solutions provider. There has also been a shift from local to transnational, with many Sri Lankan factories setting up offshore branches. As well as its established EU and US export markets, the country is also looking to new markets like China for growth.
