NZ Fashion Tech believes in the future of a viable, profitable, internationally competitive New Zealand industry focused on the delivery of quality workmanship with a multi-skilled and flexible workforce who contribute positively to New Zealand’s economic and social development.

NZ Fashion Tech produces high numbers of successful employment placements, and past learners have been placed, or worked their way into higher positions such as supervisors, cutters, production assistants and into production management. Because of these successful placements, NZ Fashion Tech’s reputation as professional trainers has spread across the industry, and many industry rely solely on NZ Fashion Tech for suitably trained entry level staff.

NZ Fashion Tech are the leading educators to the sewn products industries. NZ Fashion Tech is a private training Establishment registered and accredited with the NZ Qualifications Authority (NZQA) www.nzqa.govt.nz

Background of Company and Directors of NZ Fashion Tech

                                                        Kevin Smith                  Val Marshall-Smith

Directors, Kevin Smith and Val Marshall-Smith, began their own fashion clothing business, “Adobe Apparel” in 1974. The company sold designs through 45 outlets in New Zealand, Australia, New Caledonia, and to large numbers of overseas tourists through their two retail outlets in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Through training their own staff, they learnt how to teach the essential industry and day to day skills which encouraged employees to remain stable, efficient and versatile. 

On moving to Auckland in 1988, both were employed within the industry, and in June 1991, Val began work as a professional tutor. She had one of the highest graduate employment outcomes of any tutor, and because of this, was contracted to the Apparel and Textile Industry Training Organisation (ATITO) as their Tutor Trainer for the North Island.

In 1992 Kevin became North Island Training Manager for the ATITO. Kevin formed NZ Institute of Fashion Technology Ltd in 1995 (NZ Fashion Tech), taking over training programmes from the ATITO.  Val joined the company full time in January 1996 after resigning from Manukau Institute of Technology.

Kevin and Val continue providing the optimum learning environment, by keeping up to date on changes within both the education and sewn product industries. Kevin is a Past President of the Executive of New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers (NZAPEP), a founding member of The Forum for Training Providers and Alliances, and a member of the Apparel and Textile Federation Education Network.

Changes affecting Industry and Skill Requirements

Over the last 20 years, industry has responded to pressure from import tariff reductions. To survive they have increased local production efficiencies, down sized and/or contracted to specialist companies. The last 10 years has seen a huge demand for high quality New Zealand fashion overseas which has resulted in an urgent demand for well trained skilled people. The large production companies of the past have been replaced by an increasing number of smaller businesses. Now over 90% of New Zealand companies employ 10 or less people.

These moves and the resurgence in demand for this export driven product have changed industry’s skill requirements of workers who now need to be:

     • Versatile and highly skilled employees.

     • Have a broad skills base.

     • Well developed interpersonal skills.

     • An awareness of modern technology and production methods.