Relevance of the clothing curriculum to industry

The study examined the relevance of the National Certificate in Clothing Design and Construction Curriculum to the Clothing Industry. A qualitative approach was used in the study utilising a case study of Masvingo Polytechnic. Convenience and purposive sampling were used to come up with the sample for the study. The respondents in the study were four second year students, four production managers and three clothing lecturers. Data was collected through interview, observation and document analysis. The findings showed that the National Certificate in Industrial Clothing Construction Curriculum furnished students with basic skills and competences for the production processes in the clothing industry. However these skills and competences may not be relevant for polytechnic graduates to secure employment in the clothing industry. It was also established that stakeholders involvement in curriculum design was important for clothing programmes to be relevant. The research recommended that there be a close link between the Polytechnic and the Clothing Industry to facilitate development of relevant programmes.

Autorentext

Isabel Mupfumira did a Bachelor of Education degree in Home Economics and Masters in Technical Education specializing in Textiles and Clothing Design with the University of Zimbabwe. Currently she is lecturing in Home Economics and textiles and clothing at Great Zimbabwe University.