Technology, Skills, and Education in the Apparel Industry. Revised (original) (raw)

Abstract

Although more than 1 million people in the United States are employed in the apparel manufacturing industry, the industry has been increasingly threatened by international competition, changes in consumer tastes, and demands that many domestic firms are ill-prepared to mt,et. The traditional apparel production system emphasized cutting costs, especially the cost of direct labor, by breaking down the production process into many separate components. In response to the increase in international competition in the late 1960s and early 1970s, apparel makers intensified this traditional strategy. However, this approach was not successful, both because of technological barriers to automation and because of changes in consumer demand for apparel that weakened some previously successful markets. As a result, some apparel makers are ncw trying to move to production systems that involve greater flexibility, faster production times, greater interaction with customers and suppliers, and more attention to both product and process innovation. This strategy requires a more sophisticated use of advanced microelectronic technology as well as profound changes in human resource philosophy and practice, including much more attention to the educational preparation and continuing training of the work force and a change in the orientation of management. Postsecondary textile and apparel schools are well connected to the industry and have access to information about industry needs, but community colleges are not. The industry must press for better secondary education and provide more postsecondary education, especially in technical skills. (42 references) (KC)

Loading...

Loading Preview

Sorry, preview is currently unavailable. You can download the paper by clicking the button above.

References (31)

  1. Abend, Jules. 1928. "Modular Cutting." Apparel Industry Magazine (June), p. 60-64.
  2. American Apparel Manufacturers Association. 1988a. 1988 Focus: An Economic Profile of the Apparel Industry. Washington, DC: AAMA. 1988b. The Coming Revolution: Flexible Apparel Manufacturing. Technical Advisory Committee. Washington, DC: AAMA. 1989. Making the Revolution Work: How to Implement flexible Manufacturing Through People, Technical Advisory Committee. Washington, DC AAMA.
  3. Bailey, Thomas. Markets and Report #2. Employment, 1988. "Education and the Transformation of Technology in the Textile Industry," Technical New York: National Center on Education and Teachers College, Columbia University, May. 1989. "Changes in the Nature and Structure of Work: Implications for Skills and Skill Formation." New York: National Center on Education and Employment, Teachers College, Columbia University and Berkeley: National Center for Research on Vocational Education.
  4. Bailey, Thomas and Waldinger, Roger. 1987. "A Human Resource Development Strategy for the New York City Garment Industry," report prepared for the Garment Industry Development Corporation, New York City, September.
  5. Bartel, Ann and Lichtenberg, Frank. 1985. "The Comparative Advantage of Educated Workers in Implementing New Technology," The Review of Economics and Statistics (February).
  6. Bennett, Billy. 1988. "It's a Mod, Mod, Mod Environment," Bobbin (October), pp. 50-55.
  7. Berkstresser, Gordon and Takeuchi, Kazuo. 1986. "The Present State of Automated Sewing System Development in Japan, Western Europe and the United States," in Automation and Robotics in the Textile and Apparel Industries, Gordon Berkstresser and David Buchanan (eds.). Park Ridge, NJ.: Noyes Publications.
  8. Braverman, Harry. 1974. Labor and Monopoly Capital: The Degradation of Work in the Twentieth Century. New York: Monthly review Press.
  9. Brooks, John. 1979. "A Friendly Product," The New Yorker (November 12), pp. 58-94.
  10. Flynn, Patricia. 1988. Facilitating Technological Change: The rumen Resource Challenge. Cambridge, MA.: Ballinger Publishing Company.
  11. Gaetan, Manuel. 1988. "Going for the Gold in 807/CBI," Bobbin Magazine (June), pp. 888-92.
  12. Harding, Peter. 1988. "The Strategic Role of Technological Innovation in the Textile Industry," speech presented at the International Forum sponsored by the Antonio Ratti Foundation on "The Textile Sector and the New Technological Era: What Prospects?" Como, Italy, September 23.
  13. Hayes, Robert H., Wheelwright, Stevor, C., and Clark, Kim B. 1988. pynamic Manufacturing: Creating the Learning Prganization. New York: Free Press.
  14. Hoffman, Kurt and Rush, Howard. 1988. MIcro-Electronics and ndustr . New York: Praeger.
  15. Johnston, ussell and Lawrence, Paul. 1988. "Beyond Vertical IntegrationThe Rise of the Value Adding Partnership," Harvard Businegg_Review, (July-August), pp. 94-101.
  16. Kaciz, Richard. 1989. "Rags to Riches? One Industry's Strategy for Improving Productivity," Technology Review (August/September), pp. 42-53.
  17. Kurt Salmon Associates. 1986. KSA Pers ectives. March. . 1988a. "Vertical Integration Creates a New Breed of Consumer Products Companies." ysA Perspectives (January), pp. 1-4. . 1988b. quick Response Implementation: Action Steps for Retailers, Manufacturers & Suppliers. New York: Kurt Salmon Associates.
  18. MIT Commission on Industrial Productivity. 1988. "Report of the Commission: Textile Sector Study." Unpublished, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, March. Office of Technology Assessment. 1987. The_U.S. Textile and Apparel Industry: A Revolution in Progress. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
  19. Piore, Michael and Sabel, Charles. 1984. The second Industrial Divide: Possibilities for Prosperity. New York: Basic Books. "Retailers Move Into the QR Drivers Seat." 1987. Textile World (November), p. 61.
  20. Riley, Sid. 1987. "The Industrial Revolution: Our Time Has Arrived," Bobbin, April, pp. 67-88.
  21. Roberts, C. Zeb. 1986. "An Appraisal of UPS for Quick Response Manufacturing," Bobbin 28 (April).
  22. Rosenfeld, Stuart. 1985. After the Factories: Changing Zmplovment Patterns in the Rural South. Research Triangle Park, NC: Southern Growth Policies Board.
  23. Santora, Joyce. 1987. "The Mechanics of Training, Union Special Style," Bobbin (April), pp. 108-109.
  24. Schultz, Theodore W. 1975. "The Value of the Ability to Deal with Disequilibria." Journal of Economic Literature 13 (September), pp. 827-846.
  25. Shepherd, Jacob N. 1987. "Mechanization in the Sewing Room," Bobbin, May.
  26. Tan, Hong. 1989. "Private Sector Training In the United States: Who Gets It and Why." Unpublished conference paper. New York: The Institute on Education and the Economy, Teachers College, Columbia University, February 1989.
  27. U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1970. Census of Population: 1970. Occupation by Industry Final Report PC(2)-7C. Washington, DC.: U.S. Government Printing Office. . 1980. Censtiscalopulati Industry Subject Reports PC80-2-7C. Washington, DC.: U.S. Government Printing Office. . 1982. 1982 Census of Manufacturers. MC82-S-1 (part 1), Subject Series, General Summary. Washington, DC.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
  28. U.S. Department of Commerce. 1987. Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts of the United States, July. 1988. Bureau of Economic Analysis, National Income and Product Accounts of the United States, July.
  29. U.S. Department of Labor. 1989. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment and Earninys 36 (January), tables 63 and 64. 99
  30. Waldinger, Roger. 1986. Through tbe Eye of the Needle: Immigrants and Enterprise in New York's Garment Trades. New York: New York University Press. 1989. "The Impact of IRCA on the New York Garment Industry." Preliminary Report Prepared for the Division of Immigration Policy and Research of the U.S. Department of Labor, September.
  31. Women's Wear Daily. 1989. "Gtting Over the Labor Crunch." Wednesday, July 12, pp. 6-7.