By Editor Ryan Cooper-Brown

As the fashion industry or should I say the apparel industry is widely seen as being at the forefront of the globalisation spear. Why is it that this ‘beast’ know as economic migration cannot nurture its young? There are now more fashion photography students studying within the UK than is actually needed throughout the entire EU. 

Fashion related courses are seeing numbers increase year on year, like a giant waiting pool, before theses fashion flounder fish go into the murky shark invested waters of ‘FASHION’!!! The skills for business organisation Skillfast- UK aims to lobby MP’s “to make them put pressure on universities to act on employer skills requirements” one of many targets that Skillfasts-UK are aiming for.

Are universities spoon feeding or should I say bucket feeding under grads ‘hope’? Hope that there is work out there, when there is simply not with the skills they posses.I constantly meet designers and garment techs, who say “all of these graduates don’t know how to pattern cut”!  

I set out to find out what university lecturers feel about this apparent slander on their teaching. I approached several lecturers from the big three universities in Manchester, but before I could draw breathe for my first question the iron shutter fell.  I could only get one teacher to spill the academic beans on this issue.

Roy Chilvers of Salford University head of Future Designs explains  “Industry professionals should be able to give students the opportunities to gain the necessary experience. We can never know exactly what is required in the industry.”

 

At the other end of the spectrum employers had much to say on the issue

“Universities aren’t equipping students with the right techniques; often we find students are coming in with stupid techniques, ways they have been taught to cut corners instead of doing it properly to produce quality garments.”

Hannah Percy, Rags to Bitches

 "Yet in reality it takes great talent and good deal of hard work to succeed.  That’s why so many graduates end up sourcing textiles and making basic lines for huge corporate brands."

William Hayward, All Saints

Is this just another excuse for people to slate students and keep them in university for another year. Although some companies invest in students such as River Island, who have recently take on two under graduates to design a Spring/Summer range. The truth is in the majority, employers goal post do change, seven years ago when I was at University, they wanted students to know all about Gerber and CAD, now some companies want pattern cutting, but is that not what happens, the industry changes and students should move with it.  We want to hear your thoughts, are you a student/ Teacher/ employer?

Let us know what you think, so we can help the next generation.

email

ryan@manchesterfashion.com

 

or Visit our Blog to air your views!

 

 http://www.manchesterfashion.com/blog/

 

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