Comparative Study of Fashion Production Units in Ghanaian Polytechnics

Abstract

Technological and vocational Education has emerged as one of the most capable Human Resource Improvement Strategies that African countries need to conform, in other to train and update their technical labour force for speedy industrialization and national development. The impact of Technical and Vocational Education and the way skills training and competences are learnt in developing countries can improve polytechnic education of which Fashion is one. The Ghanaian Polytechnics have mostly since their inception relied heavily on industries outside the school environment to give their students hands-on-training in industrial practices related to their various programmes. Students studying fashion design and textiles also face similar challenges. This study therefore focuses on comparative study of production units in Polytechnics that offer fashion design and textile courses by examining the need to compare production units in Polytechnics and the role production units play especially in fashion education. The study also seeks to identify best practices in the fashion industry that could be replicated in a production unit for effective fashion education in Ghanaian Polytechnics. The study seeks to compare equipments available in production units in fashion design and textile department in Accra, Ho, Kumasi and Takoradi Polytechnics. The simple random sampling technique was used to sample views from the respondents and as data collection instrument a structured questionnaire was administered to one hundred and forty seven respondents (147). Out of the one hundred and forty seven respondents, twenty eight (28) were interviewed. The interpretation of the data reveals that most Polytechnics offering fashion education have production units. From the responses it can be concluded that the machines in the institutions production units if maintained and used properly will improve polytechnic education and also bridge the gap between Polytechnics and industries. Since the institutions will produce competent and skilled graduates, garment manufacturing industries will have confidence in the polytechnic’s graduates and willingly employ them. Based on the study certain recommendations have been made.

Keywords: Clothing, fashion, garment, manufacturing, production management.