IGNOU launches certificate programme in Fashion Design

In a bid to prepare students for employability in the Indian apparel industry, School of Vocational Education and Training, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), has launched a certificate programme in Fashion Design.

The course admits candidates who have qualified Class 12. It is designed for a minimum of 6 months and maximum 2 years, and medium of instruction in the programme will be English.

An official said in a statement, "Indian Apparel Industry is a labour 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 labour, and (ii) relatively low cost of labour."

"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 of textile exports by 2024-25 and create an additional 35 million job in the textile sector. It is not possible to achieve the said target through existing formal training system," he further stated. 

The programme will be catering to the needs of those who aspire to make their careers as assistants designers in the retail or export sectors, or want to become entrepreneurs.