California Apparel News

Microsoft Corp. and its apparel industry partners in California are hoping to put a dent in rising unemployment figures.

The Redmond, Wash.–based technology giant bestowed a $115,000 grant on Los Angeles–based trade group Fashion Business Inc. (FBI). The funds are helping about 15 displaced apparel industry workers get back into the workforce, following an extensive computer training course administered by FBI.

The workers are part of a three-phase program FBI will be administering this spring. A similar course begins in April, and then another one incorporating CAD and computerized patternmaking on the PAD System will begin in May.

The training is free to qualified applicants. Participants must have spent at least two years working for an apparel or textile company and must be currently unemployed. The first phase of the grant trained workers in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook as well as the AIMS Enterprise Resource Planning software system and Intuit's QuickBooks accounting software. The workers learned how to create tech packs and develop costing formulas, work tickets, basic accounting, EDI and more.

“Once they learn these skills, they can get a rounded idea of how the apparel industry works,” said Henry Cherner, president of AIMS, an order-management software company, used by many small and medium-size apparel companies.

“In this type of economy with globalization so prevalent, you need to upgrade your skills,” noted Frances Harder, executive director of FBI, during a March 23 graduation ceremony for the workers.

Celeste M. Alleyne, Western region citizenship director for Microsoft, presented the certificates. “This raises the bar. You are now ahead of the curve. You can do anything now,” she told the graduates.

One of them was Anna Egorova, who recently immigrated to the United States from Russia. She spent two years working in China for a Russian textile company, creating and translating tech packs from Russian into Chinese. “It was a good learning experience,” she said, adding that she hopes to work in production for a U.S.–based company.

Shahin Kohan of Los Angeles–based Focal Technology Solutions, which provided some of the training, said his company and other supporters will also help the workers with their job-placement efforts. “If you work for a start-up, chances are they don’t have lots of resources and need people with extra computer skills,” he said.

Focal, a certified Gold Partner of Microsoft, along with partner AIMS, helped to secure the grant for FBI. It included $48,000 in cash and about $60,000 worth of software. FBI consultant Ralinda Harvey of Gloss Marketing helped to coordinate the training. Scott Allen of Notice clothing, Kohan, Randall Baxter of AIMS/FBI and technical designer Michele De Lozier provided instruction for the program, which took place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons. Employment agency 24Seven Inc. provided many of the applicants through its partnership with FBI. For more information, visit www.fashionbizinc.org.