Brandix College to offer more RMIT degrees
in Sri Lanka
-- Opens up new opportunities for professional qualifications
in fashion and merchandising --
The Brandix College of Clothing Technology (BCCT) is in negotiations
with the School of Fashion and Textiles of the RMIT University,
Australia (RMIT) to launch a second RMIT programme in Sri
Lanka leading to a Degree in Fashion and Merchandising, the
College announced this week.
This second degree course is expected to commence in November
this year. The College is also negotiating to offer an MSc.
Course of RMIT in Sri Lanka, possibly by July 2008, the College
said.
BCCT currently offers a Degree programme in Textile Technology
from RMIT University, in addition to the vocational training
courses it offers to those working in the Brandix Group, Sri
Lanka’s largest apparel exporter. This degree course
conducted in collaboration with the RMIT leads to a Bachelor
of Applied Science degree and is a three year full time study
course.
This three-year programme comprises of BCCT’s two-year
Diploma in Clothing Technology and Management and the final
year courses of the RMIT degree, in a 2+1 arrangement that
opens up opportunities for many prospective apparel sector
employees, mid-career personnel as well as professionals associated
with the sector.
Students who had already successfully completed the Brandix
College two-year diploma, as well as qualified professionals
such as Chartered Accountants or Chartered Marketers with
five years of affiliation with the textile or clothing business
only need to complete RMIT’s final year courses to obtain
the degree.
The Brandix College of Clothing Technology (BCCT) was established
under the aegis of Board of Investment (BOI) in September
1996. Its objective is to impart skills and knowledge to all
those who wish to embark on a clothing career and to those
who are already employed in the clothing industry. The College
started two major streams of training programmes, Industry
Oriented Training for school leavers and Industry Based Training
for people who are already employed. The Brandix College pioneered
Enterprise Based Training (EBT) Centres in the clothing industry
and these centres focused on enterprise training needs.
The Brandix College is the only accredited trainer for GSD
in Sri Lanka. It conducts training for companies that have
installed such software in their companies. The GSD is a highly
proven work measurement tool used in the clothing industry.
The Brandix College has modern training equipment and its
laboratories are fully equipped with the latest technology.
The College plans to set up new weaving, knitting, dyeing
and finishing laboratories to strengthen the understanding
of industry applications. Its sewing room and Computer Aided
Design room are fully modernized with facilities that are
conducive to learning. The College has a state of the art
textile testing laboratory which has number of Buyer Accreditations
including Marks and Spencer.
The College’s teaching staff includes four PhDs, four
Masters and 10 Bachelors Degree holders. The College draws
experienced personnel from the industry for teaching, which
is a unique situation for an academic institution. Students
get an opportunity to understand how the industry operates
through a combination of theory and practice. Most students
get an opportunity to train at Brandix whilst studying at
the College.
The College recently launched an e-learning programme on
soft skills for middle management. The benefit of the programme
is that it is easily accessible and can be run for newcomers
as well as those who wish to refresh their learnings. The
College is now experimenting to produce a similar programme
to teach sewing machinery skills and pattern making.
The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology began in 1887
as the ‘Working Men’s College’ in Melbourne.
Today, some 57,000 students follow RMIT programmes at the
institute’s campuses in Melbourne and Vietnam, on-line,
via distance education and at more than 100 partner institutions
worldwide. RMIT alumni live and work in more than 100 countries.
July 2007
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