The Relevance of the Fashion Curriculum to the Needs of the Globalized Fashion Industries

Abstract

Global economic and technological developments are presently making old educational paradigms ineffective.  Building on these arguments, globalization places specific responsibilities on educational systems to be up to the task.  The skill requirements of a globalized economy call for a policy to educate students to develop the competencies needed for industrial jobs.  This calls for a suitable model of instruction where work-based problems determine learning situations that integrate academic concepts with practical vocational learning activities.  The paper looks at the relevance of the fashion curriculum to the needs of the industry.  Graduates of 5 Ghanaian Polytechnics were snowballed for the study.  Findings indicate their abysmal skill levels at the industrial level.  Demand-driven, dynamic, quality-conscious, and globally-competitive, competency-based curriculum was recommended for training in the polytechnics.