Who is a garment maker?
A garment maker is an artisan or a worker skilled in garment making or closely related field. A garment is a piece of manufactured clothing such as a dress, uniform, shirt, and suit among many other products made of clothing.

Garment making is the process of using sewing machines and other related tools to convert clothing design on paper into a finished garment such as a dress, shirt and trousers among many other products. It is a basic process in fashion design.

Fashion design in simple terms is a process of sketching clothing designs on paper to guide garment making process. Therefore fashion design and garment making processes are vital in the production of garments. Garment makers design, make and repair garments and other kind of textiles/ clothing products.

Other related career option(s)

1. Garment designer
2. Garment cutter
3. Garment sample maker
4. Fashion Designer
5. Dressmaker
6. Tailor

What is the work environment?
Garment makers work mostly indoor or manufacturing environments.

Some important skills to have
To work effectively, garment makers need to have some important skills and qualities such as;

1. Artistic skills in order to sketch up designs that can be used in garment making.
2. Creativity skills as garment makers work with a variety of shapes, colors and fabrics and should turn these materials into beautiful and functional garments.
3. Safety awareness to reduce injuries associated with sewing machines and tools
4. Hand and eye coordination ability to ensure smooth sewing
5. Detail oriented in order to note small differences in color and other details that can make a garment more beautiful.
6. Communication skills to communicate effectively with clients & colleagues
7. Interpersonal skills to relate well with workmates and customers
8. Among others

What are some career opportunities?
Garment makers can find work in various places such as; clothing companies, tailoring shops, Export and Processing Zones (EPZs), fashion design companies, other businesses, as well as government departments among other areas.

Garment makers can also use their creativity and start their own profit making ventures (self-employment).

Becoming a garment maker: Artisan level

Admission requirements
To pursue a career as a garment maker right from secondary school, a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), mean grade D- (minus) and below is required.

Training & Study options
With a KCSE mean grade D- (minus) and below, you can proceed to a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) college and enroll for an appropriate artisan course. Artisan courses are also offered within Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) within your region.

So what course(s) can you pursue in TVET colleges?

1. Artisan in garment making
2. Artisan in fashion design and garment making
3. Artisan in fashion & design
4. Or other similar/ related courses

Education Progression
After a successful completion of an artisan course, you can advance your education upward (in a relevant field) up to university level if that’s your goal. How is this possible?

1. Get an artisan certificate
2. Advance to craft certificate, (in a relevant field)
3. Advance to diploma certificate, (in a relevant field)
4. Advance to degree certificate, (in a relevant field)

How to Join TVET College.
There are two ways you can follow to join training institution(s) in pursuit of your career of choice. The majority way is applying through the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (Kuccps). This is a state owned agency that admits/ places government sponsored students to TVET colleges and universities. One of the advantages of applying through Kuccps is that, upon successful placement, you will pay subsidized fee as a government sponsored student.

To be placed through Kuccps you must have attained a certain pass mark required for various education levels such as degrees, diplomas, certificates and artisan courses. For an artisan course, you need a KCSE mean grade E. For more details on placement criteria, visit Kuccps website. The second approach is applying directly to training institution of your choice. Students who opt to apply this way do not get government fee subsidy and are therefore self-sponsored.

How to fund your post-secondary education.
If you are a needy student, upon application, you can get education loan from Higher Education Loans Board (HELB), a state owned institution that gives education loans to students joining technical colleges and universities. You can also access education bursaries from your local Member of Parliament (MP) or the County Government among other sources.

Always remember this!
Information provided on this website is for career awareness only, and not for any other purpose.

We know career life will take a significant part of your life journey, and your career choice will greatly influence how that journey unfolds. Therefore, before you make any career choice, before you commit yourself to any career or study option, be sure of what you are doing. It is advisable to seek professional advice from career advisors to navigate this very important process.

Need more information? We can provide you with additional career and education related information to meet your individual needs.