A curriculum model for intervention into the skills training of custom tailoring apprenticeship in Kenya

Abstract

Kenya’s economic landscape, including the labour market is characterised by a large and growing Informal Sector (IS), which employs 80% of the labour force. Dressmaking, custom-tailoring and garment manufacturing Micro- and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are among the economic activities, which dominate the IS economy. The majority of tailors working within this economic sub-sector acquire technical skills informally on-the-trade, through Traditional Apprenticeships (TAs). The tailors are, however, semi-skilled and cannot design or produce quality clothing products, thereby leading to poor performance in the economic sub-sector. Consequently, tailoring and garment manufacturing MSEs are unable to grow and can neither create the needed employment opportunities, nor foster economic growth. The aspects of technical knowledge and skills that tailors have, influence the quality of clothing products, productivity, sales, the enterprises’ survival and growth. Likewise, the quality of training influences the aspects of technical knowledge and skills that tailors may acquire and transfer to tailoring and garment manufacturing economic sub-sector. Therefore, the overall aim of the study was: to develop a curriculum model for intervention in Kenya’s TAs in tailoring to improve the quality of technical knowledge and skills within the economic sub-sector. An instrumental case study was undertaken to explore curriculum practices in TAs in custom-tailoring, to identify the aspects of technical knowledge and skills pertaining to clothing products and processes, which apprentices develop. Factors which influence the outcomes were also explored to facilitate an in-depth understanding and detailed description of the phenomenon. Based on non-probability sampling techniques, four custom-tailoring enterprises providing women’s wear alongside TAs were selected to participate in the study. The embedded sub-units making up the case of TAs in custom-tailoring were instrumental in generating comprehensive data from different settings and different participants. Participant observation as a technique was used to gather contextual data regarding what apprentices learned and how they learned. Factors influencing the quality of learning and outcomes were also observed and recorded. Semi-structured interviews guided the study to gather conversational data from four custom-tailoring enterprises. A total of four custom-tailors and 14 apprentices participated in the interview, and conversational data were audio recorded. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used to analyse interview data from tailors and 10 apprentices due to early saturation. Data were initially analysed per sub-case to enable comparison and establish similarities and differences. Observation data were also analysed thoroughly and used to corroborate findings from interviews. Pre-determined themes, a conceptual framework and research questions guided the qualitative data analysis and interpretation of the findings. The study established that TAs in custom-tailoring have the potential to significantly, contribute to technical knowledge and skills development in tailoring and garment making economic sub-sector in Kenya. The main findings of the study revealed that TAs in tailoring are gaining recognition by the participants – especially among graduates of Primary School Education who fail to gain access to Secondary School Education. In addition, dropouts of SSE and graduates who fail to proceed to tertiary education and training view TAs as instrumental in equipping them with skills needed to access employment in tailoring and the garment manufacturing economic sub-sector. It was, however, apparent from the findings that apprentices mainly developed practical skills applicable to garment making processes: techniques on how to take body measurements, pattern drafting, fabric preparation for layout and cutting, construction and finishing. It was also evident that apprentices acquired minimal knowledge of construction and finishing quality, but hardly acquired knowledge applicable to pattern drafting, design, fabrics, and performance quality of garments. The study identifies the main factors influencing the outcomes of TAs in custom tailoring as: a focus on practical activities as a result of work-based mode of skills training, observation and trial and error mode of learning, lack of theoretical learning, a lack of teaching skills and theoretical knowledge among master-tailors, limited and outdated sewing machines, and scarcity of fabrics leading to transfer of inappropriate knowledge. The lack of support from government and developmental agencies further contributed to a focus on practical skills, as this is what the tailors could afford.

Kenya se ekonomiese landskap insluitende die korporatiewe mark word gekenmerk deur ‘n groeiende Informele Sektor (IS) wat 80% van die werkers insluit. Klereontwerp gebruiksontwerp en kledingvervaardiging deur Mikro en Klein Besighede (MKB) vorm deel van die ekonomiese aktiwiteite wat dominant in die IS voor kom. Die meerderheid van die kleremakers binne die ekonomiese subsektor bekom die nodige vaardighede deur middel van informele, tradisionele praktiese ondervinding. Die kleremakers is egter nie instaat om kwaliteit kledingstukke te ontwerp en te maak nie, omdat hulle nie oor die nodige vaardighede beskik nie. Gevolglik kan die MKBs nie groei nie en word die eknomiese groei benadeel, aangesien die nodige werksgeleenthede nie geskep en ontwikkel kan word nie. Die tegniese kennis en vaardighede van kleremakers beïnvloed die kwalitieit van die kledingstukke, produktiwiteit, verkope, besigheidsoorlewing en groei. Die kwalitieit van opleiding beïnvloed ook die tegniese kennis en vaardighede wat ontwerpers oor beskik en oordra na die ontwerp en vervaardiging in die ekonomiese sektor. Dus was die oorwegende doel van die studie om ‘n kurrikululummodel te ontwikkel vir die klereontwerpers om die kwaliteit van die tegniese vervaardiging in die ekonomiese sub-sektor te verbeter. ‘n Instrumentele gevallestudie was onderneem om die kurrikulumpraktyk in klerevervaardiging en klereontwerp te ondersoek met die doel om die tegniese kennis en vaardighede wat betrekking het op die vaardighede rakende die ontwerp en produksie van kledingstuklke te identifiseer. Faktore wat die resultate beïnvloed is ook ondersoek om sodoende ‘n in-diepte begrip te kry van die verskynsel. Die studie het gebruikgemaak van vier besighede wat by klerevervaardiging van damesklere betrokke is. Die nodige omvattende data is so verkry van die spesifieke omgewing. Deelnemerwaarneming is ‘n tegniek wat gebruik is om die data te verkry om lig te werp op wat die klerevervaardigers leer en die wyse waarop die kennis bekom is. Leeruitkomstes is ook ondersoek en aangeteken. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik in die studie om die inligting te bekom van die vervaardigers. Vier vervaardigers en veertien werkers het deelgeneem in die onderhoude. Inligting is ook met ‘n bandopnemer opgeneem. Kwalitatiewe data analise is gebruik as tegniek om die data te analiseer wat bekom is van tien klerevervaardigers. Data is geanaliseer per sub-geval om vergelyking moontlik te maak. Inligting bekom deur observasie is geanaliseer en resultate is geinterpreteer en vergelyk met die data verkry deur onderhoudvoering. Die studie het bevind dat die klerevervaardigers ‘n potensïele konstruktiewe bydrae kan lewer tot die tegniese en praktiese vaardighede van die ontwerpers en vervaardigers van klere in die eknomiese sektor in Kenya. Die hoof bevindinge van die studie het aan die lig gebring dat daar gefokus word op nuwe vervaardigingstegnieke van werkers in die primêre en sekondêre onderwys en opleiding. Die student wat nie suksesvol was tydens hulle opleiding op tersiêre vlak nie, beskou klerevervaardiging as instrumenteel in die toerusting van tegnieke benodig om ‘n werk te kry.