Advocating for Local Manufacturing: 2024 Wrap Up

Advocating for Australian manufacturing has been a key focus for the AFC throughout 2024, and it remains a critical priority as we look ahead to 2025. Here’s a closer look at the work we’ve done to champion and strengthen Australia’s local manufacturing industry.

Victorian TCF Manufacturing: Future Jobs, Technology and Economic Growth Report Launch, in partnership with Epson. 

The AFC released the Victorian TCF Manufacturing: Future Jobs, Technology and Economic Growth Report in partnership with Epson. This report marked an important step in recognising the need to support a resilient but declining sector.

In 2023, the Victorian Textile, Clothing and Footwear (TCF) manufacturing industry contributed over $930 million to the economy—a testament to its significant impact despite the challenges.

Women drive this industry, making up 53% of the TCF manufacturing workforce, compared to a national manufacturing sector average of just 28%. This makes TCF manufacturing the most diverse and female-represented subdivision in the sector.

Read the Report Recommendations Here 

 

Manufacturing Roundtable with Honourable Minister Natalie Hutchins.

Following the report launch, we convened a manufacturing roundtable in Victoria, with Honourable Minister Natalie Hutchins, Minister for Jobs & Industry, Women, and First Nations & Treaty, in attendance. The event brought together leading AFC manufacturer members to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing Australian manufacturing.

Read more here

 

Member Manufacturers Forum 

We organised a series of AFC Member Forums in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane allowing  members to foster a two-way dialogue on advocacy and industry priorities. These forums are where we laid the groundwork for the Australian Manufacturing Strategy. Members spoke about advocacy and policy to create a thriving manufacturing strategy, the importance of education and training and what industry commitments are necessary to drive the industry forward.

 

NSW Parliament Event: TCF Manufacturing & Government Procurement in NSW 

We held an event, hosted by Dr Sarah Kaine MLC at the New South Wales Parliament and roundtable, engaging directly with domestic manufacturers. The event was attended by the Hon. Minister Houssos MLC, Minister for Finance, Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement, and Minister for Natural Resources to address issues relating to government procurement and policy support.

Read more here.

 

AFC Submission into NSW Government Procurement Inquiry

The AFC made a submission for the inquiry on procurement practices of government agencies in NSW and its impact on social development, chaired by the Hon. Dr Sarah Kaine, MLC.  We believe that prioritising local procurement can yield long-term economic benefits, such as job creation, increased taxable income, higher skilled occupations, reinvestment in technology and R&D, and overall industry growth. 

Read more here.

 

Sustainable Fibre Symposium at the National Wool Museum

AFC, CEO, Jaana Quaintance-James was invited to speak and presented on the role of a connected local manufacturing ecosystem to support fibre innovation to scale, and the importance of reconnecting our local thriving cotton and wool industries. 

 

Looking ahead to 2025

The AFC is committed to building on the momentum of 2024 and delivering initiatives that drive positive change for the Australian fashion and textile industry. This will include the creation of a National Manufacturing Strategy—stay tuned for more details!

Sign up to the AFC mailing list to get updates

Behind The Seams with Pattern Maker Glen Rollaston. Exclusive Interview.

Step behind the scenes of RBPatterns, where expertise and innovation redefine the art of pattern making. We recently spoke with co-founder, Glen Rollason. He shared his journey, insights into local manufacturing, and the future of fashion craftsmanship. Discover how this homegrown studio is setting new standards in the fashion industry, one pattern at a time.

  1. Could you share a little of the history behind RB Patterns and the services your business provides? 

RBPATTERNS was created by myself and Scott Bowring. Each of us has over 30 years of industry experience in design, production and pattern-making. We have worked globally for major brands and now have the only holistic pattern making, sampling and grading studio in Victoria. We were able to combine all these segmented supply chain services in the local fashion industry. We now support over 50 brands.

  1. What shifts have you noticed in Australia's local manufacturing sector?

Post pandemic we had a huge influx of brands returning to local manufacturing. Amazing. However, it showed the gap we have in knowledge of understanding how to produce clothes locally. 

We took this on as a positive, being able to help new to established brands successfully manage their supply chain locally. We are fostering and elevating the health of the local industry by shining the spotlight on these vital areas besides the catwalk and designer.

  1. Have you identified any skill shortages or gaps? If yes, what are they?

There is a massive gap in patternmaking knowledge and experience in the local industry, we are (gratefully) overwhelmed by the amount of work coming in and training younger graduates in manual and digital pattern making. 

The artisanal skill in making clothes that I was trained in seems to have been lost and we worry that once many retire, the skill will be gone forever. Fashion presently has become entertainment more than its craft.

  1. What do you believe would help support more manufacturing businesses like RB Patterns?

We have not had a large influx of migration that has been able to step into these skilled roles of manufacturing and those who have are not leaving their legacy to their children because it is no longer regarded as a respected and skilled profession. 

Being less hierarchical in this industry must happen, we upstream funding and public relations to the end of the fashion system and leave little space to celebrate and understand the amazing supply chain community that has enabled that end to flourish. Supporting the growth of the local micro to small manufacturing space is essential and that also includes the pattern makers, cutters etc.

  1. How do you stay competitive and innovative in the ever-evolving landscape of the manufacturing industry?

First and foremost, by being great at what we do and striving to always improve.
RBPatterns digital technology in pattern making benchmarks globally. We focus on how our skills can benefit our clients throughout the manufacturing process, always thinking about new ways of working.  This can be new innovative grading techniques and MOST importantly we see our role in the sustainability of this industry is to create extremely well-fitting patterns that elevate the brands we work for which translates into consumer satisfaction.

 This is a highly skilled artform. Pattern making is not just hitting numbers, it is about giving the end user a wonderful experience of loving how they feel in clothing. This is not only an aesthetic undertaking. We keep, covet, and repair the garments we feel good in, that is the real magic.

Discover more about RB Patterns here, or stay informed about progress through their social media channels.