Diploma in Clothing Management

Purpose

Persons achieving this qualification will be able to develop, perform and supervise the manufacture of apparel and related products in the clothing and related industries, encompassing a wide range of clothing related technological knowledge, skills and experience.

On successful completion of the Diploma in Clothing Management, graduates will be able to

• Develop a wide range of sewn products using manual and computerised technologies showing competence in the use of preproduction and production technology and processes.
• Source, co-ordinate, test and control inventory used in garment manufacture.
• Perform and/or supervise general operations, productivity processes, and quality assurance in clothing manufacture.
• Demonstrate entrepreneurial and supervisory management skills to support sustainable growth in a clothing related business.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of retail operations, buying and merchandising.

In addition, through participation in the various modules, students will obtain the following.

Attributes

• Critical and creative thinkers who work independently and collaboratively within clothing and related contexts.
• Knowledgeable practitioners that are able to implement theory into practice.
• Effective communicators that are able to present themselves and their work in any given context.
• Culturally, environmentally and socially aware within a local and global context within clothing and related contexts.
• Active and reflective learners that embrace the curriculum and contribute to their own lifelong learning.

Graduates of this Diploma would be able to display competence in the application of knowledge in a broad range of varied work activities associated with a career within the clothing and related industries. This includes:

• Clothing product development.
• Clothing production.
• Clothing retail.

Rationale

The Diploma in Clothing Management supports the development of focused, specialised knowledge, skills and understanding associated with the clothing industry.

The Clothing and Textile sector of the economy has been identified as a critical area to provide employment opportunities in South Africa. The current turnaround from the past decade of job loss due to low cost imports from the east has put additional pressure on the local manufacturing sector to improve competiveness. One of the ways of doing this is to improve the level of technical competence within the sector, and a number of generous government backed assistance schemes are in place. Demand from the industry for more graduates is steadily increasing.

The Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA (2014) has identified the following as general critical skills

• Coaching.
• Mentoring.
• Problem solving.
• Literacy and numeracy skills.
• Sales and marketing.
• Small, Medium and Micro-sized Enterprises (SMMEs) management skills.
• Information technology expertise.
• Supervisory/team leadership junior management skills.
• Technicians-outcomes aligned to specific industries.
• Technologists-outcomes aligned to specific industries.
• Production planning-outcomes aligned to specific industries.
• Lean manufacturing.
• Operations management.

In the same report, the following Clothing related skills are listed as critical

• Patternmaking.
• Supervisory/team leader.

In addition, Patternmaking (652204) is listed as a scarce and critical skill.

Discussions with industry representatives in the Departmental Advisory Panel Meeting (June 2016) also noted quality managers and work study officers as being in high demand.

The Diploma in Clothing Management incorporates learning in all of these skills in a holistic and integrated curriculum.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The modular structure of this qualification makes the Recognition of Prior Learning possible and is applicable to all prospective candidates wishing to pursue the Diploma in Clothing Management, which may be achieved in part through the recognition of prior learning. This includes formal, informal and non-formal learning and work experience. If the prospective candidate is able to demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification the appropriate credits would be assigned to the prospective candidate.

The institution has an RPL policy and its purpose is to

• Provide a framework for the implementation of Recognition of Prior Learning procedures within the institution.
• Facilitate access and admission to learning programmes within education and training and career paths.
• Accelerate redress of past unfair discrimination in education, training and employment opportunities.
• Promote and facilitate lifelong learning.
• Outline general procedures relating to the processing of RPL applications at the institution.

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirements for admission are

• National Senior Certificate (NSC) granting access to Diploma or Bachelor's Degree studies.

Or

• Senior Certificate.

Or

• National Certificate (Vocational) at Level 4 granting access to Diploma studies.

This qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules at Levels 5 and 6 totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 5: 100 Credits

• Cornerstone 101, 12 Credits.
• Business Management 1A, 8 Credits.
• Product Technology 1A, 12 Credits.
• Product Technology 1B, 16 Credits.
• Patternmaking 1A, 8 Credits.
• Patternmaking 1B, 12 Credits.
• Textiles 1, 8 Credits.
• Operations Management 1, 12 Credits.
• Business Management 1B ,12 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 5: 28 Credits

• Applied Science and Wellness, 12 Credits.

Or

• Introduction to Applied Sciences, 12 Credits.
• Information and Communication Technology Literacy and Skills, 8 Credits.

Or

• Interpersonal Communication and Self, 8 Credits.
• Values in the Workplace, 8 Credits.

Or

• Introduction to Technopreneurship, 8 Credits.

Compulsory Modules at Level 6: 212 Credits

• Faculty General Education 2: Applied Science for Sustainable Development, 12 Credits.
• Product Technology 2A, 16 Credits.
• Product Technology 2B, 12 Credits.
• Product Technology 3A, 16 Credits.
• Product Technology 3B, 16 Credits.
• Product Technology Project, 16 Credits.
• Patternmaking 2, Credits 8 Credits.
• Textiles 2A, Credits 8 Credits.
• Textiles 2B, Credits 12 Credits.
• Operations Management 2A, 16 Credits.
• Operations Management 2B, 20 Credits.
• Operations Management 3A, 8 Credits.
• Operations Management 3B, 8 Credits.
• Business Management 2, 8 Credits.
• Business Management 3A, 8 Credits.
• Business Management 3B, 12 Credits.
• Retail Systems, 16 Credits.

Elective Modules at Level 6: 20 Credits

• Role of Applied Science in Society, 12 Credits.

Or

• Community Development and Engagement, 12 Credits.
• The Entrepreneurial Edge, 8 Credits.

Or

• The Global Environment, 8 Credits.

1. Develop a wide range of sewn products using manual and computerised technologies showing competence in the use of preproduction and production technology and processes.
2. Source, co-ordinate, test and control inventory used in garment manufacture.
3. Perform and/or supervise general operations, productivity processes, and quality assurance in clothing manufacture.
4. Demonstrate entrepreneurial and supervisory management skills to support sustainable growth in a clothing related business.
5. Demonstrate a working knowledge of retail operations, buying and merchandising.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Successfully demonstrate practical high level psychomotor skills using manual and computerised technologies.
• Successfully demonstrate theoretical knowledge of product development and manufacturing technology.
• Successfully integrate product development and manufacturing knowledge and skills in projects both manually and through use of computers.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Write and fully understand specifications for inventory used in garment manufacture.
• Demonstrate knowledge of testing, inspection and quality assurance of inventory.
• Source appropriate inventory used in clothing manufacture for various projects.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Demonstrate application of apparel operations management knowledge.
• Demonstrate knowledge of quality assurance in clothing manufacture.
• Demonstrate application of productivity measurement and analysis.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Demonstrate knowledge and competence in supervisory skills.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of entrepreneurial skills (in small business or corporates).

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Show understanding of retail operations, buying and merchandising.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated Assessment will be emphasised in the Diploma in Clothing Management because it links to the notion of applied competence which is a central concern of the National Qualification Framework. Applied competence will be achieved by combining practical competence, foundational competence and reflective competence. Integrated assessments will combine a number of different elements and will require students to bring together different sets of outcomes of learning into a demonstration of applied competence.

Continuous assessment is provided through

• Written assignments and projects.
• Written tests.
• Practical apparel construction and patternmaking skills assessments.
• Own projects at all levels.
• Presentations - verbal and visual.
• Peer group evaluation.
• One-on-one evaluations with students.

Integrated assessment will support integrated learning. It will develop and measure students' abilities not only to understand the underpinning theory but also apply it in authentic contexts and to reflect on what they are doing and why.