AEPC, IGNOU sign pact for expansion of vocational and higher education for textile and clothing sector

October 12, 2009

New Delhi, Oct 12 -- The Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) today signed a memorandum of understanding with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) for expansion of vocational and higher education for the textile and clothing sector.

The MoU was signed by AEPC's Director General for Education and Training Initiatives Dr Darlie Koshy and IGNOU's Registrar Mr U.S. Tolia. Among those present were AEPC's Chairman Mr Rakesh Vaid, Secretary General Mr Vimal Kirti Singh and IGNOU's Vice Chancellor Mr Rajasekharan Pillai.

The pact calls for utilising AEPC's Apparel Training and Design Centres (ATDCs) across India to spread benefits of vocational education which provides employment opportunities to a large cross-section of society.

"The programmes -- by and large technical and vocational in nature -- will offer certificate, diploma and degree programmes in a modular manner between IGNOU and AEPC's ATDCs and the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM)," said Dr Koshy.

The IAM offers under-graduate and post-graduate programmes to bridge the gap of managerial and technical cadre of professionals for the fibre-to-fashion chain of textile, apparel and retail industries.

On the other hand, IGNOU imparts education and knowledge through various means suited to the open and distance education mode with a campus in the national capital.

Dr Koshy said the MoU calls for setting up an IAM-IGNOU Fashion and Design Management Centre to offer under-graduate programme with one-year foundation and two-years of domain knowledge besides one-year specialisation, leading to a bachelor degree under IGNOU.

Also, a masters in business administration will be offered as four semester programme as guided by IGNOU academic system with reference to credit value, student enrollment, academic structure and pedagogy.

There are 52 ATDCs across the country at present. Various models to make use of this network will be explored under the MoU. Distance education, concept of community colleges, open education and such other models will be examined, said Dr Koshy.

The current workforce in Indian textile and clothing industry is about 35 million. This is likely to move up to 47 million by 2015, including five million skilled workers and 2 million technical and other personnel.

For more information, please contact

Mr Somesh Singh, joint director,

Institute of Apparel Management
7th Floor, Apparel House, Institutional Area, Sector 44, Gurgaon, Haryana 122003
Phone 0124-2708226

Fax 0124-2708175

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