ADEQUACY OF TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING AT NATIONAL DIPLOMA LEVEL, FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY: THE CASE OF A TECHNICAL TEACHERS’ COLLEGE IN HARARE.

ABSTRACT

The study sought to investigate the adequacy of Technical and Vocational Education and

Training at National Diploma level, for employment in the clothing industry: The case of a

Technical Teachers’ College in Harare. The quality and quantity of equipment found in

training institutions triggered the researcher’s interest to carry out this research.A case study

design was used to come up with answers to the research question. The population for the

study was made up of thirty national diploma students who were pursuing Industrial

Clothing Design and Construction course at a Technical Teachers’ College in Harare and

who have also done On Job Training, seven Lectures from the clothing and Textiles section

who taught modules from the Industrial Clothing Design and Construction course and ten

production managers from clothing industries within Harare where the students were

attached. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select a sample from both

students and production managers, while purposive sampling was used to select a sample

from lecturers. The sample was made up of twelve students, six production managers and two

lecturers to make a total of twenty participants. Questionnaires, interviews and observations

were used to collect data from participants.The findings revealed that the training provided to

national diploma students pursuing the Industrial Clothing Design and Construction course

does not adequately equip them with appropriate skills to meet the needs of the clothing

industry. It was also revealed that there is a wide gap between the type of equipment found in

clothing industries and in the training institution which made it difficult for students to meet

the needs of the clothing industry.The study recommends that Technical and Vocational

Training Institutions seek donor funding in order to improve the quality and quantity of

equipment in their workshops, heads of Technical and Vocational Training institutions to

enrol students who can be accommodated by the available equipment, and that lecturers to go

on Industrial attachment during vacation so that they learn how to use all the different

industrial sewing machines so that they will improve their instructional methods for practical

lessons.