Art and Design

Certificate in Garment Making

The Certificate in Garment Making is a KNEC Craft Certificate programme that trains students in garment construction, pattern drafting, and clothing production skills for the textile and fashion industry. The course is examined by KNEC and offered across accredited TVET institutions in Kenya. Students learn pattern drafting, garment cutting, sewing techniques, fabric decoration, and quality control in clothing production.

The curriculum covers communication skills, mathematics, science, technical drawing, information communication technology, entrepreneurship, and occupational safety. Core units include pattern drafting and grading, garment cutting and making, fabric printing and decoration, fashion design and sketching, embroidery, textile science, and a trade project producing a complete garment collection.

Kenya's textile and apparel sector, including export processing zones, local garment manufacturers, and growing fashion enterprises, creates demand for certified garment making personnel. The revival of cotton farming, government support for textile manufacturing, and growth of local fashion brands provide employment opportunities for skilled garment makers.

Training combines classroom theory with practical sessions in garment making workshops. Students practice pattern drafting, cutting, sewing, fabric decoration, and garment construction under supervised conditions. The programme includes industrial attachment in garment factories or fashion houses where students apply their skills in real production environments.

Graduates work as garment makers, pattern makers, tailoring assistants, fashion design assistants, and quality control assistants in garment factories, fashion houses, textile companies, and alteration shops. The qualification provides a foundation for progression to Diploma in Clothing Technology and Fashion Design for specialised fashion and textile roles.

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

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 67,189
Private, up to: Ksh 53,250
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

8 subjects

Garment Construction Methods
Pattern Cutting and Adaptation
Sewing Machine Operations
Fabric Handling and Cutting
Garment Finishing Techniques
Body Measurements and Sizing
Basic Pattern Drafting
Quality Inspection in Garment Making

Modules

10 in the programme

Introduction to Garment Making
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Overview of the garment industry, safety practices, workshop procedures, and fundamental concepts for garment construction and fashion production.
Sewing Machine Operations
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Operation and maintenance of domestic and industrial sewing machines including threading, tension adjustment, stitch formation, and routine machine care.
Pattern Cutting and Adaptation
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Reading, cutting, and adapting commercial patterns for garment construction including size adjustments, style modifications, and pattern alteration techniques.
Fabric Handling and Cutting
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Fabric properties, laying, marking, and cutting techniques including grain alignment, pattern placement, and accurate fabric cutting for garment construction.
Garment Construction Methods
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Step-by-step construction of different garment types including seams, closures, and hems.
Garment Finishing Techniques
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Pressing, trimming, embellishment, hemming, and final finishing of garments including quality presentation and surface treatment for completed garments.
Body Measurements and Sizing
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Taking accurate body measurements and selecting correct garment sizes including measurement points, fitting adjustments, and size chart interpretation.
Basic Pattern Drafting
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Creating simple patterns from body measurements including basic bodice, sleeve, and skirt blocks for custom garment construction.
Quality Inspection in Garment Making
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Inspecting finished garments for quality, fit, construction standards, and defect identification including quality control procedures and corrective actions.
Entrepreneurship Skills
Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore
Business basics for starting and running a garment making venture including costing, pricing, customer service, and basic fashion business management.

Specialisations

Factory Garment Production
Focus on industrial garment manufacturing for EPZ and local factories including production line operations, quality control, and factory sewing techniques.
Custom Tailoring
Bespoke garment construction for individual clients including measurement taking, pattern adaptation, fitting, and custom garment production to client specifications.
Uniform Production
Specialisation in school and corporate uniform manufacturing including batch production, standard sizing, quality consistency, and uniform construction methods.
Garment Finishing and Quality
Specialisation in garment finishing, pressing, and quality inspection including final presentation, defect detection, and quality standards for garment production.

A day as a student

Students spend most of their time in the garment workshop operating sewing machines, cutting fabric, and constructing garments. Theory sessions cover pattern reading, measurements, and quality standards.

The trade offs

In its favour

Practical skills enable immediate employment or self-employment.
Low startup capital needed for own tailoring business.
Steady demand from EPZ factories and local garment manufacturers.

Against it

Factory positions may have modest starting salaries.
Physical work involving long hours of sewing and standing.

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

Public56k to 67k

56k at Kabete Technical Training Institute67k at Kisumu National Polytechnic

Private45k to 53k

45k at East Africa Institute of Tourism53k at NIBS Technical College

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 56K-67K/yr. NIBS 53.3K/yr, EATI 45K/yr (jitimu.com, eati.ac.ke)

TVET government funding and HELB loans are available for eligible students.

Funding options

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Funding
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) - TVET Loans

Scholarships

4 recorded

HELB TVET Loans
LoanKenyan
Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited TVET institutions, based on financial need.
National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF)
BursaryKenyan
Students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
County Government Bursaries
BursaryKenyan
Residents of respective counties, targeting vulnerable learners.
TVET Funding
Government fundingKenyan
Kenyan citizens enrolled in accredited TVET institutions, based on financial need.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: KCSE Mean Grade D (Plain)
Alternative entry: Artisan Certificate in a relevant field or equivalent qualification.

How you are assessed

4 components

Theory Tests
Test20% of the mark
Written tests on garment construction theory and fabric knowledge.
Practical Garment Construction
Practicum40% of the mark
Hands-on assessment of garment construction skills.
Final Certificate Examination
Exam100% of the mark
KNEC national examination for certificate in garment making.
Projects
Project20% of the mark
Completion of specified garment projects demonstrating construction skills.

Accreditation

Accredited by Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and examined by Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF). The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), the statutory body responsible for quality assurance and regulation of university education in Kenya.

Accredited by

Kenya National Examination Council
NationalRequired
Examining body for national certificate and craft certificate programmes under the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (KNQF).
Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority
NationalRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all TVET institutions and programmes in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Garment Maker
Moderate demandKsh 38,000 to Ksh 65,000
Construct garments in factories, design houses, or tailoring establishments.
Uniform Maker
Moderate demandKsh 38,000 to Ksh 70,000
Produce school and corporate uniforms for institutions and suppliers.
Factory Machine Operator
High demandKsh 35,000 to Ksh 55,000
Operate industrial sewing machines in EPZ and local garment factories.
Tailoring Entrepreneur
High demandKsh 30,000 to Ksh 85,000
Operate own tailoring business serving individual and institutional clients.
Garment Finisher
Moderate demandKsh 36,000 to Ksh 60,000
Specialise in garment finishing, pressing, and quality inspection.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as garment makers in factories and tailoring businesses, or establish their own garment production ventures.