People who can produce and find perfectly fitting intimate apparel are in great demand as people want underwear that is comfortable and stylish.

To meet the demand for such professionals, apparel companies are putting more resources into training their staff, which will ultimately strengthen a company's brand.

Triumph International believes the hard work of its employees is the key to delivering its products to customers.

As one of the world's largest underwear manufacturers, Triumph employs about 4,500 people worldwide in its manufacturing, sample production and retail areas.

To ensure all workers perform according to its goals and missions, co-operate well and have a deep passion for their work, the company organises activities aimed at team building and enhancing their enthusiasm towards the business.

Employees are encouraged to develop communication skills, mutual trust and team cohesion.

One such team-building activity is called "pursuit of the moment", which aims to introduce effective sales techniques to its retail assistants.

"Our employees are very positive about participating in the training. They are motivated by these programmes as they enjoy learning with fun," said Carol Lee, head of human resources.

The company is setting up the Triumph Training Academy to meet staff development needs.

"The exact launch time is still under discussion but we intend to roll it out as soon as we can," Lee said.

Training sessions are offered to all staff, covering topics such as innovation, quality assurance, design, information technology, sample production and demand planning.

"The main purpose of establishing the academy is to provide global, systematic and professional training to equip our staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to offer consistent and professional product and service to our customers both internally and externally," Lee said.

"It will provide a structured mechanism to further develop the entire organisation and eventually higher productivity can be achieved."

Staff working in manufacturing will go for training to help them understand the importance of consistency in the products' quality. Marketing staff will attend training to update them on market trends and improve their knowledge of the fashion industry and the company's products.

Training for retail staff involves helping them be sensitive to customers' desires and learning how to provide professional advice to reflect their knowledge and understanding of the products.

"The training will include product and material knowledge, the concept of body structure, accurate measuring techniques and customer service manner," Lee said.

Triumph International encourages employees to follow the correct process when they work, think out of the box and be competitive while co-operating.

It aims for a sense of unity and shared achievement among staff to help them stay energetic at work.

"To cope with the changing world and competition ahead, continuous improvement and developing new skills are our development objectives," Lee said. "We encourage our employees to be inspired by best practices and teamwork. We believe that enhancing collaboration will contribute to team success."

The company hopes the academy will help all staff become highly trained specialists who are passionate about providing solutions to customers and who come up with quality service and higher productivity.

"As a global company, passionate employees are always valued as our greatest assets," Lee said.

"We care about our people and enable them to create success. By building a working environment that fills our employees with pride and passion, they become our ambassadors to the market, making our brands stronger and more desired."

The training also aims to translate theories into practice so that employees work faster, have a more logical approach, communicate more effectively and reduce the duplication of work.

• Triumph International is establishing an academy that provides different training programmes for its employees
• It encourages employees to work according to its corporate culture
• It believes a global, systematic and professional training programme will enhance employees' skills and knowledge and uplift service quality
• Activities aim to enhance team building among employees from time to time to ensure they reach objectives