The Indira Gandhi National Open University has launched a certificate program, under its Vocational Training and education, in Fashion Designing for preparing students for employability in the fashion industry. Candidates who have qualified 10+2 (Senior Secondary) or Class 12 will be admitted in this course which has been designed for a minimum of 6 months and maximum 2 years. The medium of instruction in the Programme will be English.
“Indian Apparel Industry is a labor-intensive industry offering employment to approximately over 45 million people directly and 60 million people indirectly (IBEF, 2017). India enjoys a comparative advantage in this industry due to (i) abundant supply of labor, and (ii) relatively low cost of labor,” an official said in a statement while talking about the lack of a proper training system in the country.
“It helps to become apparel sourcing destination for many international companies and its share in global exports is about 26%. The Government of India aims to achieve US 300 billion textile exports by 2024-25 and create an additional 35 million job in the textile sector (http://texmin.nic.in). It is not possible to achieve the said target through existing formal training system,” he added.
He also said that “it becomes necessary to adopt an exceptional pedagogical approach like blending learning for delivery of the programme as per industry needs and It will develop basic knowledge and skills in pattern making and sewing techniques.”
The course aims to develop basic knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of fashion design domestically and internationally. It also aims to impart skills in digital technology in CAD and develop knowledge and understanding of pattern making skills and sewing techniques and develop entrepreneurship and communication skills.
This program will help those who aspire to make their careers into the fashion industry as assistant designers in retail or export sector or want to become entrepreneurs, or would like to update their existing knowledge and specifically in pattern making and sewing.