The Australia-Pacific Technical College (APTC) is helping develop the skills of its Certificate IV in Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising students through innovative class projects.

Recently, these students handed over 100 t-shirts to preschool children attending classes conducted by the Mobile Kindy Unit – Early Learners Fiji. The uniforms were designed and produced by the students as part of their assessment.

While receiving the uniforms, Mobile Kindy Unit Director Ms Analesi Tuicaumia said, “We are blessed to have the support of organisations like the APTC. The hard work of APTC students are directly benefitting children from disadvantaged communities, who are attending our classes.”

APTC student, Mr Ilaitia Jikoiono explained that in the design stages they incorporated elements like protection from the sun’s rays and better visibility to make the children stand out in a crowd.

“We had a very tight deadline to put the uniforms together which the children would be proud to wear and ensure that they were of high quality. We are all quite pleased with the outcome,” he added. 

As part of the project, APTC partnered with Performance Floatation Developments – Fiji (PFD), who provided the fabric for the students to work on and also printed the t-shirts through sublimation – an expensive process which uses heat and pressure to transfer artwork to fabric.

PFD Manager Mr Mike Towler said, “This has been a great way to come together and celebrate the importance of education for these young children. It is a pleasure to have been a part of this project, and supporting APTC students in producing quality garments.”

This is the first time APTC has delivered Certificate IV in Applied Fashion Design and Merchandising, which provides two pathways, targeting the skill requirements of fashion designers and fashion business management.

The current students are graduates of APTC’s Certificate III in Applied Fashion Design and Technology, who have at least a year’s experience in garment production.

As part of their training, students have been networking with fashion industry representatives, working with different fibres, fabrics and textiles, developing their skills in designing, patternmaking, sewing, planning and implementing production, as well as conducting quality assurance in an environment-friendly and safe work environment.