The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council (ECPACC), has proposed a 10 days Basic Sewing Training Programme initiative to empower community members with fundamental sewing skills to improve economic progression.
The program was noted to be held at the Eastern Cape Arts and Craft Hub in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, to provide formal qualifications for interested participants.
According to the Chief Director of Skills for the Economy at the DTIC, Ms. Jocelyn Vass, the Programme aligns with the DTIC vision of empowering communities through skills development, especially women involved in traditional crafts throughout the Eastern Cape, by providing them with essential skills to enter the fashion design and clothing industry.
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“By providing participants with hands-on training, we are fostering job creation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods within the fashion design and clothing sector,” she says.
“Many of the beneficiaries will be able to leverage these skills to start their own businesses or find employment in the fashion and clothing sector, particularly in areas where traditional craftsmanship plays a significant role in local economies. This initiative reflects the dtic’s ongoing commitment to fostering skills development and inclusive economic growth in South Africa,” she added.
It was gathered that the empowerment program will enable participants to access modern facilities such as Fashion Design Innovation Centre (FDIC), which features a Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) studio equipped with 10 desktop computers for pattern design, a digitizer for pattern grading, and a plotter for printing patterns, and the fully equipped Cut-Make-Trim (CMT) studio offers sewing machines designed for various garment construction functions, to enhance their learning.
