USAID and Garment Design Center offer course to garment designers and manufacturers

The courses target small and medium enterprises in the garment and clothing industry. The new ten days course will be conducted at the GSC premises from 15 - 25th February 2009.

Aligning with the USAID Jordan Economic Development Program's strategic aims of driving economic growth, the GSC training courses provide local garment designers and manufacturers with the necessary tools to upgrade and build their capacities. Potential industry growth in the national and international markets has encouraged the GSC to provide its specialized technical services to the garment industry. The courses also aim to expose and create job opportunities for young designers and link them to businesses.

Building on its previous success in running training courses for the garment industry, the GSC in cooperation with a professional trainer conducted a patternmaking techniques course for T-shirt, skirt, blouse, pants and dress. Soon, the need to apply patterns to fabric was identified, and the new course was designed. For continuity purposes and the running of similar training activities, GSC nominated an ex-trainee as a counterpart, to work with the trainer in preparation of his taking over further training missions with the GSC.

"There are so many potentials... designers with astonishing talent; and there is a world of opportunity in a global market we aim at giving our students the right training to set them on that course with the hope of seeing Jordanian designers recognized on the international level,"

said Raghad Al Khoja, CEO of the Garment Design and Training Services Centre, thanking all supporters and funding agencies who gave the Centre their trust and support to fulfill their mission. In addition to USAID Jordan Economic Development program SABEQ, GSC is supported on the national level by E-TVET Fund (Employment- Technical and Vocational Education and Training Fund) as well as JE.

On his part, Mr Laith Al Qasem, Chief of Party, USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ), said that the strategic aims of GSC and those of the Program to drive economic growth and create jobs for Jordanians meet and have materialized in this worthy partnership, "Potentials for the garment industry are great. With new skills opportunities become more frequent for people. GSC are on the right track of better positioning the sector on the path to further success."

The USAID Jordan Economic Development Program (SABEQ) is a five year broad economic development initiative implemented by Bearing Point, Inc. and a sizeable team of international and Jordanian partner firms. By both supporting improvements in the business environment and providing assistance to expand innovation and productivity in Jordanian businesses, it supports the main objective of building up the private sector as a powerful engine of economic growth.