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Career Guidance

Alternative Careers After High School
By Ameen-e-Mudassar


Apparel / Fashion Technology 

Today, the textile and apparel sector employs 35.0 mn people (and is the 2nd largest employer), generates 1/5th of the total export earnings and contributes 4 per cent to the GDP thereby making it the largest industrial sector of India. 


“It is expected that Indian firms will have to invest close to Rs. 1400 billion by year 2010 to increase its global trade to $ 50 bn. This kind of investment would require, by our calculations, about 70,000 supervisors and 1.05 million operators in the textile sector and at least 112,000 supervisors and 2.8 million operators in the apparel sector and all this is dependent on the availability of skilled manpower.”


Pankaj Chandra, IIM-Ahmedabad


The Textile and Apparel Industry in India, April 2006. 


Common Course offered by leading apparel technology & fashion designing institutes / colleges across India. 

1. Sewing Machine Operator: 1 month (full time)

2. Computer Aided Textile & Garment Designing: 3 months

3. Apparel Production Supervisor: 6 months.

4. Sewing machine mechanic: 6 months.

5. Fashion Design & Boutique Management

6. Garment Manufacturing Technology.

7. Pattern Cutting Master’s Course (6months)

8. Garment Construction Course (4 months)

9. Measurement & Quality Control Course (3 months)

10. And many more tailor-made courses to suit the industry needs. 


Few selected institutes across India

1. National Institute of Fashion Technology with centers in New Delhi, Chennai, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata & Bangalore. Website : http://www.niftindia.com/

2. Apparel Training & Design Centres in Delhi, kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ludhiana, Tirupur, Trivandrum, Noida, Gurgaon, Indore, Mumbai, Mewat, Faridabad, Gundlapochampally, surat, Bangalore, Chennai, Kanpur, Tronica City, Bhubaneshwar, Silvassa, RAnchi, Rayadurg. For more details visit : www.aepcindia.com

3. IITC - India International Trade Centre - Training Institutes in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune & Nagpur. Website : http://www.iitcworld.com/training.htm


Job Opportunities in Apparel / Fashion Industry 

According to a leading apparel technology institute, the career options available for students after finishing courses in Apparel technology are. 

1. Sample Coordinator.

2. Supervisor in Production Planning & Control.

3. Costume Designers, Fashion Coordinators.

4. Visual Merchandisers, Quality Controllers.

5. Apparel Manufacturing Technology & Management.

6. Becoming Entrepreneurs, setting up own business. 


Interior Designing 

An Interior designer/decorator acts mainly as an advisor to his client. The planning for the interior furniture, furnishings, design patterns, colour combinations, etc is an integral part of the job. At certain levels an interior designer takes up exclusive and unique designs of furniture, fittings and artefacts, keeping in mind a client’s tastes, personality, lifestyle and his budget.  


Personality requirements to be a Interior designer

Skill of Imagination, Creativity, Innovation, originality, ability to visualize & translate them to actual work, Good skills of Communication, etc.. 


Few selected institutes offering courses in Interior Designing.  

1. Small Industries Service Institute, GoI, Ministry of Small Scale Industries, Bangalore 560044. Website: www.sisikarnataka.org SISI Centers are also present in all major cities & towns across India in Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ranchi & Kanpur.


Diploma in Interior Decoration & Designing

Duration: 6months. Eligibility: 10th pass and above. 

2. Exterior-Interiors (P) Ltd, F-12, Kalkaji Main Rd, 1st & 2nd Floor, New Delhi-110 019. With centers in Calcutta, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Shillong, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka & USA. Website : http://www.exterior-interiors.com

3. IITC - India International Trade Centre - Training Institutes in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Pune & Nagpur. Website : http://www.iitcworld.com/training.htm
Diploma in Interior Designing - 1year. Eligibility: 10th pass. 

4. U.P. Rajarshi Tandon Open University, 17 Maharshi Dayanand Marg, Allahabad - 211001.
1 year vocational Diploma in Interior designing. 


Job Prospects 

In our country there is a huge increase in the demand for interior designers in all areas of construction - houses, bungalow, malls, apartments, villas, companies, exhibitions etc.. After successful completion of a course in interior designing and undergoing practical training, the candidate can work with architecture firms, set up own business. 


Fisheries Science 

Today for a country like India which has more than 3,000 miles of sea coast, the sea food industry plays the key role in its economic growth. If growth is measured in terms of economic gains then a flourishing career in fishery sciences means “more” growth, gains & huge, steady profits. 


Listed below are 2 training programs leading to technical careers in the Fishing and marine Industry. 


Refrigeration Technician Training Course
Qualification: Pass in SSLC or equivalent
Duration of the course: 10 Months.
Course fee: Rs. 1000/- per head per month.
Course details:  Refrigeration theory and practical including Refrigeration Engineering, Electricity connected to Refrigeration, Basic Physics, Basic Chemistry, Welding, Psychrometry, Thermodynamics and practical sessions.

For admission details, contact: The Director, Integrated Fisheries project. Fine Arts Avenue, Cochin  682016. 


Career Training in Vessel Navigator and Marine Fitter Trades. 

The Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical & Engineering Training (CIFNET) at Kochi/ Chennai/ Visakhapatnam offers career training to candidates in Vessel Navigator and Marine Fitter Trades which have been newly introduced by Director General of Education & Training, Ministry of Labour, New Delhi under Craftsman Training Scheme of NCVT.  

Duration: 24 months, including training on board fishing vessels at sea.
Entrance Exam: 1st July at CIFNET Kochi, Chennai and Vishakapatnam.
Eligibility: Pass in 10th Standard (SSLC) 

For details contact: Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training
Fine Arts Avenue, Dewan’s Road, Kochi - 682016. Website: http://www.cifnet.gov.in  


Job Prospects 

The demand for highly skilled manpower is increasing every day in the Fisheries industry. Jobs exist in the fish processing, breeding industries both private and public. The above mentioned vocational training in vessel navigator and marine fitter trades will lead to technician careers in the marine and fishing industry.

(Any Queries on Career/Education, send to MSW-Career Guidance & Information Center. CIGMA Foundation, # 214, United School Building, Ilyasnagar, J.P.Nagar Post, Bangalore - 560078. Email: ameen@cigma.in Website: www.cigma.in Phone : 080-26669784.)