Fashion and Garment Design
Overiew
The Tailoring and Garment Design Department at the National Instructors’ College Abilonino (NICA) is dedicated to equipping trainees with practical and professional skills in fashion, tailoring, and garment technology. The department plays a key role in promoting entrepreneurship, self-reliance, and industrial skills relevant to Uganda’s socio-economic development. The department runs two program me that is national diploma in fashion and garment design (DFD) and Diploma in technical teacher education (DITTE), apparels and textile design and design and production, preparing students for garment manufacturing, designs and vocational teaching
Mission
To train, mentor, and inspire instructors in tailoring and garment design with strong technical, entrepreneurial, and pedagogical skills that drive sustainable livelihoods.
Core Functions
- Training of TVET instructors in tailoring, fashion, and garment construction.
- Developing market-oriented curricula and teaching resources.
- Promoting entrepreneurship through design exhibitions and innovation projects. Offering short courses and skilling programs for community and industry needs.
- Conducting research and outreach in fashion and garment design.
Facilities & Resources
- Modern tailoring and garment construction workshops.
- Sewing, embroidery, and knitting machines.
- Fabric cutting and finishing tools.
- Resource center with fashion design materials
Courses Offered
- Instructor Training in Tailoring and Garment Design (Diploma Level).
- Short Courses in Fashion Design, Pattern Drafting, and Garment Construction.
- Skills-upgrading courses for practicing instructors.
- Graduates from this department work as:
- TVET instructors in tailoring and fashion design.
- Entrepreneurs in fashion and garment production.
- Industrial garment technologists.
- Community trainers in tailoring and garment making.
Achievements
- The department took part in national design events such as a fashion show at kolo playground which acted as national event the all country, raising the departments profile among industry and innovation stakeholder and increased enrolment of students compared to previous years
- The department of fashion as got more training machines. The department is equipped with Practical materials.
- The department carries out training with production.
- C.P.D. training has been always conducted to improve on content delivery i.e. C.P.D. for making of men’s suits, making of ladies suits, Knitting of sweaters, Weaving of fabric using an ankle room, making of bridal gowns.
- Teaching and learning has been always conducted successfully
- The department has development projects and research linked to garment industry improvements
- The department contracts from neibouring schools like making for them sweaters, making for them school uniforms and Printing T-shirt’s for them
Future prospect of the department
- Practical opportunities the department can purse (based on current trends and national Instructor’s College Abilonino vocation-led mandate
- Strengthened industry links –internships with local garment manufacturers and textile SMEs to boost graduate employability.
- Short-course and certification offering (up skilling tailors, small business owners) to generate revenue and community impact.
- Expand sustainable fashions and textile-teach research (waste reduction, local fibre development)
- Grow public events (annual fashion week/exhibitions) into platform for industry recruitment and brand partnerships (these the recommend directions consistent with the departments vocational focus and recent activities.)
Partners and collaborations.
Inter-college collaboration or inter-university collaboration /participating institutions have been visible in events and exhibitions (student’s shows involving others institutions. National Instructors College Abilonino also works with industry partner and host national-level design summits that attract external stakeholders for the formal MOUs and partner lost, the faculty/university partnership office can provide the official list.
Staffing
The department is staffed by an academic lecturers, technical instructors and vocational trainers.