Art and Design

Certificate in Clothing Technology

The Certificate in Clothing Technology is a craft-level qualification examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) that equips learners with practical skills in garment making, textile technology, and fashion design. The programme is designed for individuals seeking entry-level positions in Kenya's textile and garment manufacturing industry.

Students develop competencies in pattern drafting and grading, garment cutting and making, textile classification, fashion design and sketching, and fabric decoration techniques including tie and dye, batik, and embroidery. The curriculum also covers entrepreneurship, communication skills, ICT, and workshop organisation, ensuring graduates can work in garment factories or establish their own tailoring and fashion businesses.

Kenya's textile and apparel sector has grown through initiatives such as the Export Processing Zones (EPZ) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), creating demand for skilled garment makers. The programme aligns with the needs of garment factories, fashion houses, tailoring shops, and self-employment ventures in the clothing industry.

The programme is delivered through full-time study at technical training institutes, national polytechnics, and technical and vocational colleges across Kenya. Teaching combines classroom instruction with extensive practical sessions in garment making workshops, covering pattern drafting, cutting, sewing, and fabric decoration. A trade project is included for hands-on application.

Graduates can work as garment makers, tailors, pattern makers, fashion design assistants, and textile production assistants in garment factories, fashion houses, and tailoring businesses. Many proceed to pursue the Diploma in Fashion Design and Garment Making Technology or start their own clothing businesses.

This programme is suitable for KCSE graduates with a mean grade of D (plain) who are creative and interested in clothing and fashion and seeking technical positions in the clothing and apparel manufacturing sector.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 45,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Certificate

What you study

10 subjects

Textile Making Knowledge
Pattern Drafting and Grading
Garment Cutting and Making
Fashion Design and Sketching
Art and Design
Fabric Printing and Decoration
Embroidery
Workshop Organisation and Management
Entrepreneurship
Information Communication Technology

Modules

12 in the programme

Information Communication Technology
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Computer applications in clothing technology, use of design software, and digital tools for pattern making.
Entrepreneurship
Year 1Semester 12 creditsElective
Entrepreneurship principles and business plan development for clothing and fashion enterprises.
Mathematics
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Mathematical concepts applied in clothing technology including measurements, proportions, and costing.
Textile Making Knowledge
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Textile classification, yarn and fabric formation, fabric properties, and textile material selection.
Art and Design
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Art and design principles, colour theory, and visual communication for fashion design.
Fashion Design and Sketching
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Fashion illustration, design sketching, and creating original garment designs from concept to visual representation.
Pattern Drafting and Grading I
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Basic pattern drafting techniques, body measurements, and creating patterns for simple garments.
Fabric Printing and Decoration
Year 1Semester 12 creditsCore
Tie and dye, batik, fabric printing, and surface decoration techniques for textile embellishment.
Pattern Drafting and Grading II
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Advanced pattern drafting, grading for different sizes, and creating patterns for complex garments.
Garment Cutting and Making
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Garment cutting techniques, sewing operations, construction methods for men's and women's garments.
Embroidery
Year 1Semester 22 creditsCore
Hand and machine embroidery techniques, decorative stitching, and embellishment application on garments.
Trade Project
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Practical project producing a complete garment from design to finished product, demonstrating all learned competencies.

Specialisations

Garment Making
Focus on garment construction, cutting, sewing techniques, and quality control in clothing production for commercial and custom garment manufacturing.
Pattern Drafting and Grading
Focus on creating and grading patterns for different garment sizes and styles including pattern blocks, size grading, and pattern adaptation techniques.
Fashion Design
Focus on fashion sketching, design principles, and creating original garment designs including illustration, colour theory, and fashion collection development.
Fabric Decoration
Focus on tie and dye, batik, fabric printing, and embroidery techniques for fabric surface decoration and textile embellishment in clothing production.

A day as a student

A typical day begins with a morning session on textile science or fashion design theory, followed by extensive practical sessions in the garment making workshop where students practise pattern drafting, fabric cutting, sewing, and garment construction. Afternoon sessions cover fabric decoration techniques such as tie and dye, batik, and embroidery, or entrepreneurship and communication skills. Students regularly work on individual garment projects from design to finished product.

The trade offs

In its favour

Provides practical skills for both employment in garment factories and self-employment as a tailor or fashion designer.
Kenya's EPZ garment factories and AGOA export opportunities create demand for skilled garment makers.
Provides a pathway to Diploma in Fashion Design and Garment Making Technology.
Creative and practical curriculum with hands-on garment making from design to finished product.

Against it

Garment factory work can be repetitive with long hours of machine operation.
Self-employment as a tailor requires capital investment in sewing machines and materials.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 73 art and design courses

Public67k to 67k

67k at TVET public colleges (standardized)67k at TVET public colleges (standardized)

Private45k to 45k

45k at Eldoret Aviation Training Institute45k at Eldoret Aviation Training Institute

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

TVET 67,189/yr public. EATI 45K/yr private 15K/term (edunotes.co.ke).

Students can access HELB TVET loans of up to KES 40,000, government capitation of KES 30,000 per year through TVETA, and county government bursaries.

Funding options

HELB TVET Loan
TVET Capitation (Government Scholarship)
County Government Bursaries
NGAAF Bursary

Scholarships

4 recorded

HELB TVET Loan
LoanKsh 40,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in TVET institutions.
Government TVET Capitation
ScholarshipKsh 30,000Kenyan
All students enrolled in public TVET institutions through KUCCPS placement.
County Government Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties enrolled in TVET programmes. Amounts vary by county.
NGAAF Bursary
BursaryKenyan
Needy students from marginalised areas through the National Government Affirmative Action Fund.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: D
Alternative entry: Relevant artisan certificate or equivalent qualification as recognised by KNQA. Some institutions accept KCPE with NITA grading.

How you are assessed

3 components

Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework30% of the mark
Mid-semester and end-of-semester tests covering theory and practical garment making exercises.
KNEC Final Examination
Exam70% of the mark
National examination administered by KNEC at the end of each module, including theory and practical papers.
Trade Project
Project0% of the mark
Practical garment making project from design to finished product, assessed as part of module 2 coursework.

Accreditation

Examined by the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) under the Business Technical Education Programme (BTEP) as a Craft Certificate. Some institutions offer the programme under NITA grading. Institutions are accredited by TVETA.

Accredited by

Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory examination body for craft certificate clothing technology qualifications under BTEP.
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA)
Institutional accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for TVET institutions offering certificate programmes in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Garment Maker
Moderate demandKsh 22,000 to Ksh 40,000
Constructs garments in factories or tailoring shops, operating sewing machines and ensuring quality construction.
Tailor
High demandKsh 20,000 to Ksh 45,000
Provides custom tailoring services including measuring, cutting, sewing, and fitting garments for individual clients.
Pattern Maker
Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 48,000
Creates and grades patterns for garment production, translating designs into production-ready patterns.
Fashion Design Assistant
Moderate demandKsh 25,000 to Ksh 45,000
Assists fashion designers in creating sketches, selecting fabrics, preparing patterns, and producing sample garments.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as garment makers, tailors, pattern makers, fashion design assistants, and textile production assistants in garment factories, fashion houses, and tailoring businesses across Kenya.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Sewing Machines
EquipmentPrimary
Industrial and domestic sewing machines, overlock machines, and buttonhole machines used in garment construction.
Pattern Making Tools
EquipmentPrimary
Pattern paper, rulers, curves, measuring tapes, and cutting tools used in pattern drafting and grading.
Fashion Design Software
Software
Computer-aided design software for fashion illustration and digital pattern making.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Clothing technology is just about sewing clothes
Clothing technology encompasses textile science, pattern drafting, garment construction, fashion design, fabric decoration, and workshop management.
There are no jobs in the clothing industry in Kenya
Kenya's EPZ garment factories, growing fashion industry, and AGOA export opportunities create demand for skilled garment makers and fashion designers.
You need to be artistic to study clothing technology
While creativity is helpful, the programme teaches technical skills in pattern drafting, garment construction, and textile science that can be learned by anyone.
Clothing technology is only for women
The clothing and textile industry offers opportunities for all genders, with many successful male fashion designers and garment industry professionals in Kenya.