9 and 10 September 2018
Saint Maurice and Vionnaz
The future is textile
The Swiss national section of the International Federation of Knitting and Warp Knitting Professionals (IFWS) renews
∗ Knitted and crocheted fabrics for medical and technical use
A new board of directors was elected in rotation at the national assembly in St. Maurice VS. The Federation is very pleased that both the number of women (new 2) and young members (new 3) on the Board is increasing and congratulates the new President Claudia Hoffmann of Swisslastic AG and the entire Board on her election.
The meeting was very pleased about the generation change in the board of directors, because the topic of succession in the textile industry was also the main topic of the following symposium. In a workshop, the IFWS concluded that the industry needs to raise awareness to prevent the risk of running out of skilled workers in the coming years. The need for succession is urgent and was also raised during a visit to the only industrial flat knitting machine manufacturer, Steiger company in Vionnaz VS: "We have a need for more knitting machines and could sell them, but our customers cannot find enough knitters to serve them".
The IFWS will therefore concentrate its energy in the coming year on bringing the attractiveness of the textile industry back into the limelight throughout Switzerland and on conveying the diverse and exciting perspectives to young professionals. Because "Textiles are not only clothing; textile is nowadays high-tech, e.g. part of road, aircraft and car construction, medical technology and much more. Textiles hold the world together", stressed Reinhard Helbig, Chairman of the IFWS Country Section Germany.
