The Fashion Academy, established by Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality to provide the necessary skills to those who want to make a career in the fashion industry, provides advanced level training to participants in 8 different fields. All training programs are developed by focusing on the needs of the industry and the training period is 30 weeks. In the academy, participants are provided with the necessary skills in the fields such as; “Women’s Modeling, Draping, Computerized Modeling, Computerized Design, Visual Merchandising and Window Design, Fashion Collection Development, Retail Collection Determination and Application, Sewing Techniques”. Participants, who benefit from the training given by expert academicians in their fields free of charge, turn theoretical training into practice in the workshops of the academy operating in the Seka Art Specialization Center.
Beyza Zenginer Genç, the head of the academy, told AA that the academy was established to closely follow innovations and demands in the industry for those who aim to make a career in fashion and to provide participants with the most up-to-date information and skills. Genç stated that 242 participants are currently continuing their education in 6 classes at the academy, and said that the participants discover themselves here and find job opportunities in textile after completing their education.
Eskişehir Technical University, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Fashion Design Department Academician Prof. Dr. Yüksel Şahin, who provides training in “Fashion Collection Development”, stated that there is a personnel shortage in the industry; “Since Türkiye has a large textile industry, there is always a need for good, quality, and trained personnel. I see this academy as a great opportunity for trainees because it offers courses that are quite comprehensive and aimed at different fields of education,” he said. Şahin added that after the participants successfully complete their training in their fields, they will find job opportunities, be able to establish their own design workshops or work as designers in various companies.
“The Fashion Academy has an infrastructure that many universities do not even have”
Ferhat Dumanlı, who provides education in “Visual Merchandising and Window Design”, relayed that the Fashion Academy is a beautiful and innovative project; “This centre, which has an infrastructure that many universities do not even have, was established with great effort. There is a very good team here. I can say that it is a ‘specialized fashion school that progresses on the path of creating a large cherry garden from a small cherry seed’. It makes a great contribution to the development of students with its infrastructure and the materials used,” he said.
Dumanlı indicated that they take written and practical exams to determine the fields of the trainees and accept the candidates they deem sufficient to the academy and noted: “With the increase in textile consumption in recent years, the need for trained personnel in this industry has also increased. We aim to close this personnel gap with the training we provide. The fact that the course is free is also a great advantage for the students. While they have to pay high fees to attend these trainings in Istanbul, they can receive completely free training here”.