Radford University Creates Jobs Via Fashion Design Training

By Edmund Mingle

Nana Dwomoh Sarpong,

Radford University College (RUC), the premier tertiary institution to run fashion design graduate programmes in Ghana, says it is determined to create jobs through fashion designing.

The university is believes the country’s fashion industry holds enormous potential that needs to be explored for job creation and income generation.

Currently, dozens of the university’s fashion design graduates have been engaged by international and national fashion companies, while others have established their own businesses that continue to employ many young people.

Nana Dwomoh Sarpong, Executive Chairman of the RUC, speaking to journalists at the university’s third Graduate Fashion Show, held at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, said the university has no regrets for introducing the fashion design programme.

He said fashion was a booming industry around the world since humans continue to wear cloths, adding that there was a need for a national plan to tap into that industry through the active training and involvement of the youth.

In addition, he explained that exploring the fashion industry has a huge potential for job creation which would help in addressing graduate unemployment.

He debunked the perception that fashion designing was the preserve of those who are academically weak, saying it rather requires a lot of innovation and creative thinking to be able to survive in that industry.

Such creativity, he said continued be displayed by the university’s fashion students at the annual Graduate Fashion Show that has gained international recognition.

It was glitz and glamour when the products of graduating 2016 students from the Fashion Design Department of RUC, were showcased by models on the runway during the show.

The Graduate Fashion Show, which is aimed at offering the platform for the graduating students to display their talent through their clothing designs, attracted dozens renowned fashion designers, experts, managers of textile firms, fashion lovers, parents and students.

Various samples of clothing lines, including corporate wear for male and female, children’s wear, casual, sports, summer, winter clothes, as well as African wear, wedding and funeral clothes, were showcased to the admiration of the gathering.

Apart from being a platform for the students to showcase their products, the show also provided an opportunity for networking between the graduating students and industry players.