Colours of a Kind’s Accelerator Programme can help you start your career in fashion
COLOURS of a Kind is on the lookout for their second cohort of accelerator students, with applications being accepted for their 2023 programme.
There are so many creatives in our country with a dream of becoming fashion designers but without the means to do so.
This is where Colours of a Kind comes in. The South African non-profit company was founded in June 2019 by Christiane Wacker. It aims to uplift and empower women from disadvantaged communities in and around Cape Town.
“As a first initiative, we launched Learn Make Sew, a programme which provided free training in basic sewing skills as well as personal development, to equip women with the skills they need to enter the workforce,” says Colours of a Kind general manager Jackie Vorster.
“Our first Learn Make Sew programme was in 2019, and 10 women proudly completed the four-month training. In 2020, the programme grew to include 40 women (despite the difficulties caused by the Covid19 pandemic) and in 2021, another 44 participants completed the programme.
“In 2022 we launched our new Accelerator programme in collaboration with the Fashion Institute of Garment Technology.
“Thirteen young women were chosen and sponsored to complete the Seta-accredited One Year General Education and Training Certificate in Clothing Manufacturing Process.”
The Accelerator Programme focuses on garment manufacturing, sewing techniques and pattern making. Personal development plays an integral role in the course. Students can engage with mentors and experience hands-on how the industry functions.
Once students have graduated, they are supported in finding work.
“Some choose to go into the fashion industry and we support them in their application process.
“Others choose to start their own brands or businesses in their community, and we support them with mentorship as well as outsourcing sewing jobs to them that we need assistance with.
“We run our social business to source orders that provide work and income to our graduates who participate. In 2023 we will be growing our own production studio, a creative and supportive space for our graduates to intern with us.
“This provides them with continuous skills development and earning potential,” Vorster said.
To enter the next Accelerator programme, you need to be a South African woman aged 18 to 35 without the financial means to study full-time.
The course will run from February to November 2023 and applicants must be able to attend class daily at the Fashion Institute of Garment Technology (FIGT).
Email your application to coak@ctcfd. co.za, WhatsApp 081 793 4276, or call
021 224 0727 (office hours).
All applicants will be considered. FIGT do the selection with Colours of a Kind. Applicants write a motivational letter and provide their school certificate. Financial background checks are done, then the interview process begins.