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Training & Development

Gildan offers its employees a wide range of training opportunities throughout the year in order to build on their competencies, increase their knowledge, and to heighten their awareness of the principles outlined in the Gildan Code of Conduct.

Employees are eligible for both external professional training and in-house training courses which are available based on each employee’s training needs. Depending on pre-defined parameters, the Company will cover certain related expenses.

In 2011, 985,286 hours of training were provided globally, representing an increase of close to 100% compared to 2010 (506,222 hours). This increase is related primarily to the ramping up of new manufacturing facilities over the course of 2011, which includes the training of a large number of new employees.

In Central America and in the Caribbean Basin*, in 2011, detailed man-hours of training per category for employees can be broken down as follows:

* Haiti: this information only includes Gildan employees working at our administrative office in Haiti which is responsible for monitoring Haitian contractors including compliance to our Code of Conduct. The employees of our contractors in Haiti are not included in this data.

• Induction Training

  Upon commencement of their employment with Gildan, employees attend an induction training or information session where they are introduced to Gildan, its principles, policies, and procedures, the Code of Conduct, corporate citizenship principles, Gildan Quality System (GQS), and with their specific job responsibilities. The training also includes topics relating to enabling workers to better understand the environment in which they will be working, as well as informing them of their rights and obligations.

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  Technical Training

  At Gildan, we recognize that ongoing employee training is a key factor in upgrading workforce competencies. As such, we place great emphasis on “on-the-job training” for our workers. Immediately upon hiring, direct production employees receive technical training specific to their job responsibilities, such as the equipment operator training that is provided to all lift operators at our Charleston facility, or advanced training in Word, Excel and other software applications for our administrative staff in Barbados. Learning the right techniques and safety protocols from the onset allows employees to easily adapt to their new work environment and allows them to quickly integrate into their role and responsibilities.

  At Gildan-owned facilities in Central America and the Caribbean Basin, as well as at our contractor facilities in Haiti, sewing modules are reserved exclusively for new employee training. These modules are also used to teach new sewing procedures throughout the course of the year.

  In 2011, we conducted approximately 490,000 hours of training on dedicated sewing modules in Honduras and more than 60,000 in Nicaragua.

  Specifically at our textile facility in the Dominican Republic (Dortex), the Dortex Training System (DTS) was created to reinforce our commitment to technical training. In FY2011, 89 employees from the various textile operations were trained according to the DTS.

  In the Dominican Republic, 25 of our employees obtained their Lean Six Sigma certification in the fall of 2011. The Lean Six Sigma training is a methodology that aims to improve various processes by reducing their variability, thus leading to the elimination of defects and/or errors in manufacturing products or delivering services to clients.

  In addition, we provide both on-site and off-site technical, managerial and leadership education, as well as labour law training to Directors, Supervisors and Coordinators in Central America and the Caribbean Basin. At our Charleston, SC offices, supervisor/manager training was also initiated in 2011 to offer employees in these positions a training encompassing such issues as time/attendance, corrective action procedures, employee relations, and effective supervisor training.

• Internal Training Academy

  In March 2011, Gildan created an Internal Training Academy in Nicaragua to provide all direct employees the opportunity to be trained in additional technical areas such as mechanics, as well as in supervisory and instructional roles. This will allow the Company to identify and train internal talent and provide these individuals with the opportunity to be promoted within the Company. Eighty employees participated in the first stage of the program.

• Leadership program in Honduras: the Franklin Covey Project

  In 2011, the Gildan Training & Organizational Development department in Honduras began the implementation of a Leadership Program with the internationally recognized leadership training firm, Franklin Covey™, in order to provide a two-year training program adapted specifically to the needs of Vice Presidents, Directors and Managers. The program’s objective is to ensure that senior executives are aligned with the Company’s vision, mission and values, and to strengthen the overall leadership of our organization.

  In order to expand the Leadership Program among the Honduran employees, Gildan created an Internal Facilitators Academy with a group of 13 executives who received a Franklin Covey certification and will roll out the program to all levels.

• In-house training

  At the majority of our locations, we have initiated a series of in-house training sessions in order to enhance employee knowledge on subjects specific to Gildan, share best practices and recognize employees’ expertise and competencies.

  In Central America alone, the total number of hours spent on in-house training increased significantly from 188,001 hours in 2010 to 569,619 hours in 2011.

  Gildan also encourages the mobility of its employees from one hub or facility to another in order to allow for cross-training within the organization.

  Topics covered at these in-house training sessions include:

  • Gildan operations
    Introduction to Gildan’s product line; Cotton 101
  • Human Resources
    Leadership training; employee motivation; organizational skills; new employee training; conflict resolution; change management; labour code; performance appraisal process; insurance plans; and disciplinary process
  • Quality
    Gildan Quality System, ISO 9001, quality control, auditor training
  • Health and Safety
    Preparation of internal brigades, facility safety training across all areas, including fire control and chemical handling
  • Technical
    Operator skills development; knitting; cutting and dyeing procedures; Instituto Politécnico Centroamericano technical training (refrigeration and air conditioning); basic electrics training
  • Finance
    Finance 101 for non-finance professionals, IFRS training
  • Corporate Citizenship
    Code of Conduct, Ergonomics, Environment

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  Personal development

  Gildan recognizes that over the course of one’s employment, it is important to provide employees with ongoing education through various types of training designed to improve the technical, administrative and interpersonal skills necessary in their present job or related to possible future growth. Specific employee training requirements are identified through the Performance Appraisal process.

  Through the Gildan tuition reimbursement program, in some countries, we reimburse tuition fees to employees who participate in continuing professional development programs offered through universities or professional associations.

  In addition, at the majority of our locations, we provide language courses to employees who are required to communicate in French, English or Spanish in performing their duties.

  Gildan supports employees whose job performance and job satisfaction improve as a result of the skills and knowledge acquired through training and development programs.

   

  Educatodos Program in Honduras

  Basic education and literacy are taken for granted in many parts of the world and unfortunately, these fundamental rights are not available in many regions. Recognizing this, since 2003 Gildan has supported Educatodos, a program developed in partnership with the Honduran Ministry of Education and the United States Agency for International Development to offer primary and secondary education classes in underprivileged regions. Government funding for the program was suspended in 2009 due to the political instability in Honduras at the time. However, in August 2010, the program was officially re-launched, with more than 340 employees enrolling. Also in 2010, Gildan continued to expand the program across to include its textile and sewing facilities in Honduras.

  In July 2011, we celebrated the graduation of more than 300 employees at our textile and sewing facilities that had participated in the Educatodos program. For the first time since the implementation of the program, the graduation celebration was held in the presence of the Honduran Secretary of Education. Gildan also signed an agreement committing to continue the program into 2011-2012 in order to benefit the increasing number of employees interested in continuing their high school education.