Vlisco lets fabrics speak

African fabrics. Long robes with vibrant colors and swirling designs. But how African are they, really? Many of these fabrics have their roots in—surprisingly—Helmond, Brabant! It's a small world, after all. Since this year, Summa Process Technology has offered a textile training program with Vlisco, the company that has been manufacturing these fabrics for the African market since 1846.

To print the fabrics, rollers are used that serve as stamps and rollers that are filled with paint from the inside. Each design has its own meaning, and it's good to be aware of it. Instructor Frank explains: "You can't just say, 'Hey, I'm going on vacation to Congo, I'm going to make a nice blouse out of African fabric.' Then you might end up choosing a design that means, for example, 'My husband peed outside, I'm going to do the same.'"

Immersed in textile knowledge

The mechanical version of the operator training program has been offered at Vlisco by Summa Process Technology since 2010. Both parties are so pleased with this that the school now also offers the textile version. Instructors Frans Maas and Frank Sijben immersed themselves in textile knowledge through an intensive course. In collaboration with an external specialist, they then developed electives and teaching materials specifically for the textile industry. This way, a unique production process was translated into a practice-oriented, customized training program.

Bringing theory to life

The elective module lasts 18 weeks and consists of a basic and a company-specific component. The basic component focuses on raw material knowledge. The company-specific component focuses on textile companies, including Vlisco, EE Labels, and Raymakers. This component, taught by Summa Process Technology instructors, focuses on the types of fabrics and techniques used by the company in question. Frans: "Background knowledge is important to bring the theory to life. When people understand the process better, they become more critical of their own contribution to it. They can also help each other. This is stimulating and motivating, and thus also leads to, for example, less failure."

Doers

About 25 students from three different levels are currently taking the elective course. It's a considerable task for the instructors, who have to keep track of these students, each with their own customized program. They call it "a challenging way of presenting," and they often go out into the workplace with the students. Frank: "What we do is interactive. By connecting theory to practice, it's immediately recognizable. Because if that's not the case, what's the point of what we teach our students?" "Besides, our students are doers," adds Frans. "They can't sit still for long. So we have to keep the lessons lively."

Understanding the process

Peter Degenkamp took the Level 2 Operator A course. He was the youngest of the group, as the average age of Process Technology students is around 40. The course focuses more on technology than on textiles. Although Peter would have preferred it the other way around, he likes it this way because it helps him understand the process. Peter: “When I'm working with a fabric, I don't think, 'There's 6 bar on that pipe now,' I'm working with the fabric itself. The course material is very interesting, but challenging. For now, it's important that I gain basic knowledge. My future dream is to become a yarn specialist or something like quality management.” 

Crazy and with lots of love

The teaching team consists of approximately 12 instructors and a few support staff. Frank and Frans are available almost 8/5, both for students and businesses. "We don't have an XNUMX-to-XNUMX mentality," explains Frans. "If we were to act differently, we wouldn't be able to keep going. Time is actually our biggest enemy. Are we crazy? Yes. Do we do it with a lot of love? Yes!"

“Kaput?”

According to Frans, the challenge lies in the diversity of education, skill levels, and cultures. Getting people into work, keeping them employed, and continuing to challenge them. "The Dutch language also poses a challenge in this regard. We teach people from other cultures our language by applying it to the practicalities of the workplace. A machine that doesn't work isn't immediately broken, but probably has a malfunction that can be fixed, or perhaps it's simply turned off."

Regional learning center

Vlisco is opening up as a learning center for the region. This is beneficial for Summa Process Technology, which gratefully utilizes this for cross-pollination. Students visit at least two companies to get a behind-the-scenes look. The fact that the program can be tailored to each company's production process makes collaborating with the school attractive. As a company, you connect to an existing infrastructure, which you then customize with specific electives.