SFCACT Training
>About SFCACT>
The San Francisco Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (SFCACT) is one of twelve CACT’s in the state of California. The CACT is a nonprofit, grant-funded economic development initiative delivered through the California Community College Economic and Workforce Development division. CACT is charged to offer a wide range of training services to manufacturers, designers and related businesses. The SFCACT serves entrepreneurs and small to large companies throughout the San Francisco, North Bay and East Bay regions. SFCACT is housed and managed by the City College of San Francisco Office of Workforce & Economic Development at 1400 Evans Avenue in San Francisco.
Originally built upon Garment 2000, a consortium of San Francisco Bay Area apparel sector stakeholders, SFCACT was developed in response to immense challenges confronting the garment industry. Garment 2000’s approach was to assist local garment producers to grow with the global economy by substituting high value for high volume production.
Evolving with the local economy, Garment 2000 changed its name to the Evans Campus Design Studio and continues to support the fashion industry by providing technical assistance, and training on equipment and new technologies. Today we offer an array of convenient, short-term not-for-credit workshops in fashion business practices, digital design and pattern-making to soft-goods manufacturers, designers and entrepreneurs. We also offer technical assistance to help small businesses refine their concepts, build a business plan and enhance their operations thus improving their edge in this competitive market.
The state-of-the-art Design Studio is headquarters to the program and hosts its training activities and demonstrations. The studio features more than $1,500,000 worth of advanced apparel equipment, computer hardware and software, and products donated by Juki America, Inc., Gerber Technology, GSD-Methods Workshop, Templex, ENCAD and other contributors. For more information, please click here or write to designstudio@ccsf.edu.
We also provide training opportunities to manufacturers in other sectors depending upon the needs of the business and its employees. For a list of example customized training, please click here.
The SFCACT’s complete “one-stop” services include:
- Affordable, onsite customized employee training upgrades critical to launching or expanding a small business, improving productivity and improved business performance through technical and “soft“ skills, management/supervisory, and lean manufacturing practices. If we don’t offer what you need, we will be happy to direct you to other resources. For a free consultation, please contact wlmiller@ccsf.edu or click here.
- Technical assistance/consulting services to entrepreneurs of soft-goods design covering such as researching your idea, identifying your customer, researching the competition, evaluating types of business structures, developing the product, planning and costing a line, creating the first samples, and sales and marketing practices. For more information about how you can access this service, please contact designstudio@ccsf.edu
- Short-term, just-in-time workshops to train workers and business operators specific technical skills and business practices in Design Studio and the GIS Education Center.
- Technology deployment. The SFCACT can help companies explore new forms of technology, such as geographic information systems. GIS is a useful tool for manufacturers to identify and map their customer base, find new locations and recognize the competitor. We also demonstrate and teach rapid prototyping/3-D printing technology skills, which significantly limits the length of time needed to develop a prototype as well as offers enormous financial savings. Please Contact Us for more information.
- Assistance with ETP financial reimbursement. As a California business your organization may be eligible for training cost reimbursement under the State of California Employment Training Panel (ETP) facilitated by City College of San Francisco. Find out more by contacting the SFCACT staff.
- Contact us to arrange for a complimentary on-site visit; our curriculum specialists can design a training program to be delivered in your time-frame that meets your business objectives and goals. Please contact us.
