About this module
Level 1 made you safe at the machine and able to sew simple garments. Level 2 makes you a tailor who can draft a pattern, fit it, sew it in a batch and get paid for it.
Who it is for. People who have finished Garment Making and Industrial Sewing (Level 1), or who can show the same skills. National Proficiency II covers varied work, mostly routine, under limited supervision.
CTVET status. CTVET lists Fashion Design Technology at National Proficiency I and II. Its unit list was not found online, so this module is not that curriculum. It follows CTVET's format so it can be put forward later. The Youth Employment Agency also runs garment programmes with factory placements and apprenticeships.
Bridge from Level 1: what you already know
- Needle guards, switching off before threading, a chair with a back, damp-cloth lint cleaning
- Threading, tension, stitch length; lockstitch and overlock machines
- Ten body measurements on a card; grain line; laying out and cutting a simple pattern
- Plain seams, zips, hems; a bag, skirt, shirt and uniform-style item
- Quality checklist: seams, edges, fit, finish, on time
- Location checklist, Assembly fees, extra income lines
- Portfolio, WhatsApp catalogue, price formula, order book
Level 1 did not cover drafting or grading a pattern, fixing fit, tailoring a jacket or trousers, buying and maintaining industrial machines, costing a production batch, uniform contracts and tenders, or taxes. Level 2 covers all of these.
How the module works
Each unit has learning outcomes, performance criteria, the range and the evidence your assessor needs. You are judged Competent or Not Yet Competent. About 70% of the time is practical, following CTVET's Oil Palm programme split of about 30% school and 70% workplace.
Unit 1 · Work safely in a busy workshop
More machines, more people and more cloth mean more risk. A bigger workshop must be a safer one.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 1.1 Control fire and electrical risks | keeps lint, irons and cables safe; knows the exits and the extinguisher |
| 1.2 Set up a comfortable line | arranges chairs, tables and light for each machinist |
| 1.3 Protect apprentices and visitors | gives a safety talk and supervises new workers |
| 1.4 Respond to a needle injury or burn | gives first help and records the accident |
Range. Workshop of three or more machines. Evidence. Observation; safety talk; accident record.
Fire and lint
Cotton dust can harm breathing, so clean with a damp cloth or vacuum, never a broom or blowing. Lint, cloth piles and hot irons make a fire risk. Never leave an iron face-down; switch off and unplug at the end of the day; keep a clear path to the door. The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) says business premises need a fire certificate. Ask GNFS at your Assembly what applies to your workshop; the fee and the rules were not verified for this module.
Electricity and machines
The UK regulator advises needle guards set to each machinist's fingers, light that stays on when the motor is off, guarded belts and pulleys, power off and feet off the pedal when threading or changing needles, and cables kept overhead and away from feet. Industrial motors are strong: when a machine makes a new noise, a burning smell or sparks, switch off at the wall and tag it "Do not use". Electricity tariffs changed in July 2026, so power is part of your costs.
A comfortable line
In a study of 100 tailors and dressmakers in Madina, most sat on stools with no back and 60–74% had back, neck or shoulder pain; the study says better set-ups could raise output two to three times. Give every machinist a chair with a backrest, light on the work, and breaks to stand and stretch. For a production line, long hours are your biggest risk to the people who work for you.
New workers and apprentices
Apprentices in Kumasi faced cuts, falls, shocks and needles through the fingers. Before a new worker touches a machine: show the switch-off routine, show the guard, and watch the first hour. The YEA runs a 12-month apprenticeship with a certified master: the master is responsible for safety.
What nobody tells you. The most common serious injury is not the needle. It is a back that will not work at age 40. Fit the line to the person before you speed it up.
Safe line or unsafe line?
- Eight machinists sit on stools with no backs for nine hours.
- A new apprentice is shown the guard and the switch before sewing.
- Cables run across the floor under the pedals.
- Lint is swept into a corner and burnt.
- The iron is unplugged and stood upright at closing.
Make the workshop safer
- Walk the workshop with a checklist: exits, cables, lint, irons, guards, lighting, chairs.
- Fix at least three things (move a cable, fit a guard, clean lint).
- Give a five-minute safety talk to a new trainee.
- Practise first help for a needle in the finger and a small burn (cool with running water; do not pull a deep needle out; get help).
- Write an accident record: who, what, when, what was done.
Safety audit
Visit a workshop in your town. Write one page: three good practices and three dangers you saw.
Unit 2 · Draft, grade and fit patterns
A pattern is a plan. A good plan gives a good fit in every size.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 2.1 Draft a basic block | drafts a bodice or skirt block from a measurement card |
| 2.2 Grade a pattern | makes two larger sizes from a base pattern using a grade rule |
| 2.3 Test the fit | sews a toile, marks fitting problems and corrects the pattern |
| 2.4 Alter finished garments | takes in, lets out and shortens a garment cleanly |
Range. Skirt, shirt or dress, and trousers. Evidence. Pattern pieces; toile; photos; measurement cards.
Drafting a block
A block is a plain pattern made from body measurements, with no style lines. You build styles on top of it. Take your Level 1 measurement card, add ease (the extra room that lets people move), draw the block on paper, then check that matching seams are the same length. Mark the grain line, notches and the name of each piece.
Grading: making other sizes
Grading means making a set of sizes from one base pattern. It is not just making everything bigger, because bodies do not grow evenly: each point on the pattern moves by its own amount, called a grade rule. The base size, sometimes called the master pattern, is the starting point. The simplest method is cut and spread: cut the pattern on marked lines and spread the pieces apart to make it larger, or overlap them to make it smaller. It is easy but slow, and errors can build up over many sizes. Pattern shifting moves each piece a fixed amount from a fixed point and traces it onto new paper. Computer grading is used by bigger brands.
Grade a shirt
A sample grade rule (a classroom example, not a standard): add 4 cm to the chest and 1 cm to the shoulder for each size up. The base shirt has a chest of 96 cm. (1) What is the chest of the shirt two sizes up? (2) A front piece is one quarter of the chest. How much wider is each front piece two sizes up? (3) How much wider is the shoulder?
Fitting and correcting
A well-fitting garment is neither too large nor too small, and it does not bind, pull, sag or wrinkle. Check the fit by sewing a toile: a trial garment in cheap cloth. Compare body measurements with the pattern, allowing for ease. There are three ways to change a pattern: fold out extra, slash and spread or overlap, or redraw darts and seams. Keep the grain line and match any piece that touches the changed one, such as a collar after a neckline change.
| Problem you see | Likely fix |
|---|---|
| Pulling across the back | Add width at the back; check the arm hole |
| Neckline gaps | Overlap the neckline and alter the facing too |
| Waist too tight | Let out side seams; recut the waistband |
| Hem uneven | Mark from the floor on the person; level, then trim |
Always change the pattern, not only the one garment, or the next customer gets the same fault.
Alterations: fast daily money
Alterations are quick work: shortening, taking in, letting out, replacing zips. In Ghana's second-hand clothes trade, dressmakers re-sew used clothes into new styles that sell for about GH¢20–100 each. That figure is from 2018: ask local prices today. Quote alterations as a fixed price before you start, and mark the garment with chalk on the person.
Take a number, not a guess. Write every measurement and every change on the customer's card. When the customer comes back, you can repeat the fit.
Draft, grade, fit
- Draft a skirt or bodice block from a partner's card.
- Grade it up two sizes using a written grade rule; label each size.
- Cut a toile; fit it on a partner; mark three problems.
- Correct the paper pattern and sew a second toile.
- Shorten a hem and take in a side seam on a spare garment.
Fit a family member
Draft a block for a family member, sew a toile, and record the problems you found.
Unit 3 · Tailor jackets, trousers and uniforms
Uniforms and office wear are steady work: the same style, many times, always with a neat finish.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 3.1 Make trousers | sews a trouser with fly, waistband and pockets |
| 3.2 Tailor a jacket | shapes and sews a lined jacket with interfacing |
| 3.3 Sew a uniform | makes a school or work uniform set to a size chart |
| 3.4 Press and finish | presses seams as you sew; sews buttonholes and buttons |
Range. One pair of trousers; one jacket; one uniform set. Evidence. Finished garments; photos; fit records.
Trousers
Trousers need a fly, a waistband, pockets and a hem. A good practice is to add a facing behind the fly and to stiffen the waistband so it holds its shape. Check the rise and the length on the person before you hem.
Jackets
A jacket is built in stages. A common order is: shape the under collar, the front, the back and the shoulder seam; tailor the collar and pockets; set the sleeves with the shoulder pads; finish hem and vents; add the lining; topstitch; sew buttons and buttonholes. Pressing at every stage shapes the cloth and gives the professional finish. Interfacing gives the front body. A full-canvas jacket has canvas through the whole front, a half-canvas jacket has it through the chest and lapel only, and a fused jacket uses fusible interfacing alone. For corporate wear and church uniforms made in a batch, fused interfacing is faster; canvas is for premium orders.
Uniforms
A uniform is a set of garments made to a size chart and a fixed style: same cloth, same colour, same trim, every time. Check cloth shade between rolls so one batch does not have two colours. Mark each piece with its size and keep the sample garment as the pattern for the whole order.
Never sew a uniform without a signed sample. Get the customer or school to approve one finished sample and keep it. It protects you if they later say the style is wrong.
Free uniforms went wrong on sizes. A report on the free school uniform scheme listed uniforms that were wrongly labelled, too big or too small, and made of poor cloth. Every size label and every check in Unit 5 is your protection.
Make three tailored items
- Trousers with fly, waistband and two pockets.
- A lined jacket with interfacing in the front and collar (a fused one is acceptable).
- A uniform set (shirt or blouse and trousers or skirt) in two sizes from your graded pattern.
- Press every seam as you sew.
- Photograph each item on a person for your portfolio.
Look at a uniform
Look at the school uniform of a child near you. List the pieces, the seams and the finishes, and say what you would change to speed up a batch.
Unit 4 · Set up and care for industrial machines
A machine that stops costs more than a machine you oil. Learn to look after it.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 4.1 Set up for the job | chooses needle, thread, stitch length and tension for the cloth |
| 4.2 Maintain machines | cleans, oils, changes needles and records it |
| 4.3 Use overlock and buttonhole machines | finishes edges and makes buttonholes to size |
| 4.4 Buy a machine wisely | compares price, condition and service |
Range. Industrial lockstitch, overlock, buttonhole machines. Evidence. Maintenance record; samples; price comparison.
Match needle and thread to the cloth
Use a finer needle for thin cloth and a stronger one for thick cloth. Change a needle when it is bent or blunt, because bent needles cause skipped stitches and damaged cloth. Test every setting on a scrap of the same cloth, sewn in the same direction as the real seam.
Cleaning and oiling an overlocker
Overlockers cut as they sew, so they make a lot of lint. Dust the machine often, clean around the feed dogs every three to four months by taking off the stitch plate, and clean lint from between the knives. Avoid compressed air because it pushes lint deeper. Use only the oil your machine needs, because too much oil attracts lint. That guide was written for home overlockers; for factory machines follow the maker's manual. Many industrial machines are serviced best by a trained mechanic.
- Switch off and unplug before cleaning or changing a needle
- Brush lint; do not blow it
- Oil only the points your manual shows, with the oil it names
- Change a bent or blunt needle at once
- Write the date and what you did in the machine record
- Tag a faulty machine "Do not use" until fixed
Buttonhole machines
A buttonhole machine sews a neat, repeatable buttonhole of a set size, which matters on shirts and uniforms. Set the length to the button and test on scrap cloth of the same type before you sew the real garment. Check each buttonhole by passing the button through it.
Buying machines: online prices, October 2026
| Machine | GH¢ (listings) |
|---|---|
| Industrial overlock, 3–5 thread | about 1,500–5,500; most 3,800–5,500 |
| Juki industrial buttonhole | about 9,200 |
| New industrial buttonhole machine | about 18,500 |
| Industrial steam iron | about 800–1,850 |
| Electric domestic and industrial lockstitch | see Level 1: 1,000–4,000 |
Listings are for sale in Accra and other cities, may include knitting machines, and many prices are negotiable. Takoradi prices were not found. A buttonhole machine costs far more than a lockstitch machine, so many tailors send buttonholes to a workshop that has one and pay per piece. Before you buy: ask for a test run, check the model has spare parts, and ask who can repair it in Takoradi.
Pay per piece or buy?
A buttonhole workshop charges GH¢1 per buttonhole. You sew 600 buttonholes a month. A used machine costs GH¢9,200 and its upkeep is GH¢100 a month. (1) How much do you pay the workshop per month? (2) Roughly how many months until the machine pays for itself if you save the workshop fee, less upkeep?
Machine care and special machines
- Clean, oil (if your manual says so) and record maintenance on two machines.
- Change a needle and set tension for thin, medium and thick cloth.
- Overlock edges on twenty pieces at steady speed.
- Make ten buttonholes on scrap cloth; measure each against the button.
- Compare three machine prices from a shop or online.
Machine mechanic
Visit a sewing machine mechanic. Ask how often to service industrial machines, what breaks most and what it costs.
Unit 5 · Production batches, costing and quality
In a batch, a small saving on each piece becomes a big saving over a hundred. So does a small mistake.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 5.1 Plan a line | splits a garment into operations and sets them out in order |
| 5.2 Time and cost an operation | finds a time per operation and costs labour per piece |
| 5.3 Cost a batch | totals cloth, trims, labour and overheads for a batch |
| 5.4 Control quality | inspects pieces, counts faults and fixes the cause |
Range. A batch of at least twenty pieces. Evidence. Operation list; timing sheet; cost sheet; quality records.
Plan the line
Write every step of the garment as an operation: for example, "join shoulder seams", "attach collar". Put the operations in the order they will be sewn. Give each operator a similar amount of work so nobody waits. The slowest step sets the speed of the whole line, so balance the work or add a second operator to the slow one.
Time and cost an operation
The standard allowed minute (SAM) measures the work content of an operation. One way to find it is a time study: time several cycles, multiply by the operator's rating to get basic time, then add allowances for bundle handling and for rest and machine needs. In the source's example, 0.60 minutes at a rating of 80% gave a basic time of 0.48 minutes; adding 10% and 20% of that gave 0.624 minutes. Multiply minutes by the labour cost per minute to get the cost of the operation, and add the operations to get the labour cost of a garment.
Time one operation
You time an operation: 0.50 minutes per cycle. The operator's rating is 90%. Add 10% bundle allowance and 20% personal allowance, both of the basic time, as in the source. (1) What is the SAM? (2) An operator is paid GH¢90 for 480 minutes. What is the labour cost of one operation? (3) If the operator is productive for 85% of the 480 minutes (a sample figure), how many operations can she finish in a day?
Cost a batch
Batch cost = cloth with waste + trims + labour + power and machine upkeep + transport. Price = cost ÷ (1 − margin).
Cost 120 school uniform sets
Sample figures, not market prices. Each set uses 2 m of cloth; allow 8% waste; cloth costs GH¢25 a metre. Trims (thread, buttons, zip, label) GH¢6 per set. Labour: 5 sewers for 6 days at GH¢80 a day each. Power and machine upkeep GH¢300. Transport GH¢200. (1) What is the total cost? (2) What price per set gives a 20% margin on the price? (3) A school asks for 50% deposit: how much on the full order?
Quality control
Inspect as you go: at the first piece, again midway and at the end. Hang or fold finished pieces and check them against the checklist from Level 1: seams, edges, fit, finish, on time. Add three new checks for a batch: size label matches the piece, colour matches the sample, and trims are the same on every piece. Sort pieces into pass, repair and reject, and count the faults of each kind. When the same fault keeps coming, fix the cause (a worn needle, a wrong setting, a tired operator) rather than only repairing pieces. A quality sheet with counts is your proof when a customer complains.
- Size. Label correct; measurements within 1 cm of the chart.
- Colour. Matches the signed sample.
- Seams. Even; no skipped stitches; ends back-stitched.
- Trims. Same buttons, zips and labels on every piece.
- Finish. Threads cut; pressed; no marks.
- Pack. Counted, folded, labelled by size.
Run a batch of 20
- Break a shirt or tunic into operations and write them in order.
- Time three operations with a stopwatch; work out the SAM.
- Run the line for one session; count passes, repairs and rejects.
- Fill in a cost sheet for the batch and set a price.
- Find the main fault; fix its cause; run ten more pieces.
Cost a family order
Cost a real order for a family or church group: cloth, trims, labour, power. Show your price formula.
Unit 6 · Cloth, standards, contracts and tenders
Big orders pay well, but they are signed in writing and paid late. Plan for both.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 6.1 Source cloth | compares suppliers on price, quality and delivery |
| 6.2 Use quality marks | explains Kente rules and the Made-in-Ghana logo |
| 6.3 Write a contract | writes a quote and contract with deposit and stages |
| 6.4 Explain how tenders work | lists the steps to bid for a uniform contract |
Range. Two real or sample suppliers; one sample contract. Evidence. Price comparison; contract; tender checklist.
Sourcing cloth
Compare at least three suppliers: price per metre or per piece, colour fastness (wash a sample), width, minimum order and delivery. In Takoradi, Market Circle is the Western Region's commercial hub with thousands of traders selling textiles among other goods. Ghana-made wax print has been produced by GTP since 1966. Current prices per metre or per piece were not found for this module, so collect real quotes each time and keep them in a price book. Ask for samples before you buy a large roll. For every order, pay a deposit to the supplier only after you hold a signed order from your customer.
Kente and origin labels. Since 2025 only cloth woven traditionally in places such as Bonwire and Agotime Kpetoe may be sold as "Kente". Do not call printed or machine-woven copies Kente.
Standards and the Made-in-Ghana logo
The Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) has administered the Made in Ghana logo since November 2017. Products that carry it have been licensed for sale, certified and accepted as meeting local and international standards. The mark must not be altered, copied or used without written permission from the GSA. The GSA's Made-in-Ghana page lists a combined amount for processing the application, the annual user licence and the marking fee, by size of business: micro (fewer than 6 workers; turnover and assets each under US$25,000) GH¢3,000–4,900; small (6–30 workers) GH¢5,000–9,900; medium (31–100 workers) GH¢10,000–19,900; large GH¢25,000 and above. Ask the GSA for a written invoice before you pay; working from home does not automatically make you "micro". In February 2026 the Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry asked the GSA to test fabrics and develop standards for uniforms made by local garment manufacturers, starting with sample uniforms from the Armed Forces, Immigration Service and Narcotics Control Commission. Ask the GSA about the status of those standards before you tender for institutional uniforms.
Uniform contracts: the opportunity and the risk
- Opportunity. A national dialogue urged the Ministry of Education to use community tailors for free school uniforms. In 2009 the then Vice President told the tailors' association that school uniforms were just the start, with Armed Forces, Police, Prisons and Immigration uniforms to follow.
- Risk. In November 2024, the National Association of Institutional Suppliers said its members had still not been fully paid for uniform and house-dress contracts, with arrears from 2022–2023 and part of 2023–2024. Plan your cash so one late payment does not close you.
How a tender works
Public bodies buy under the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) as amended by Act 914 of 2016. Smaller purchases may use a request for quotation: the buyer asks several suppliers for prices. A search summary said quotation was used for goods of up to GH¢100,000 under Act 914, but new thresholds took effect in 2025 and the current quotation limit was not verified. For purchases below the international tender threshold, the rules point to national competitive tendering for qualified domestic bidders or requests for quotation. Ask your Assembly or the Public Procurement Authority how to be put on supplier lists.
- Register your business and have a TIN
- Keep tax, Assembly and, if needed, other certificates up to date
- Read the specification: cloth, sizes, colours, labels, delivery date
- Quote with cloth, labour, power, transport and margin
- Get the order in writing, with a deposit and stage payments
- Keep delivery notes signed by the receiver
Your contract
- Style: a signed sample, photo or drawing
- Cloth and trims: type, colour, supplier
- Sizes and numbers
- Price, deposit and payment stages
- Delivery date and place
- What happens if the customer changes the order or pays late
- Signatures of both sides, and a witness
Lateness hurts both ways. Tailors' leaders say deliver on time to keep trust. Write your date, then build the plan to meet it.
Quote a uniform job
- Choose a real or sample job (a school, church group or company).
- Compare cloth prices from three suppliers.
- Write a quote and a contract using the tick list.
- List the steps and papers needed to bid for a school uniform contract.
Ask the GSA
Phone or visit the GSA office in Takoradi. Ask how a small garment maker can use the Made in Ghana logo and what it costs. Record the answer.
Unit 7 · Location, marketing, money and apprentices
Set up where people buy cloth, show your work where they look, and keep your books honest.
Competency standard
| Learning outcome | Performance criteria — the trainee… |
|---|---|
| 7.1 Choose a good location | scores sites using demand, access and costs |
| 7.2 Market the business | sets up WhatsApp Business, a Google listing and a portfolio |
| 7.3 Price and keep accounts | prices work, tracks income and understands tax options |
| 7.4 Manage apprentices | plans training, safety and pay for an apprentice |
Range. The trainee's own business plan. Evidence. Location report; marketing set-up; accounts; apprentice plan.
Location settings that give good returns
- Footfall. Near fabric sellers, a market, schools or offices, as in Takoradi Market Circle.
- Season. Schools reopening bring a rush; Christmas brings late nights.
- Power. Mains power with a back-up; electricity tariffs changed in 2026.
- Cost. Rent plus the Assembly fee for your trade.
- Access for all. Step-free entrance and room for a wheelchair.
Assembly fees (STMA 2025, per year)
| Category | GH¢ |
|---|---|
| Non-industrial dressmaker or tailor, small | 120 |
| Non-industrial, medium / large | 150 / 190 |
| Industrial fashion designer (large) | 1,600 |
Other Assemblies in the Western Region set their own fees: ask yours.
Business ideas and ingenuity
- School and church uniforms: a contract with a signed sample and deposit
- Corporate wear: shirts and jackets for offices, banks, security firms and clinics
- Alterations and repairs: quick money every day
- Re-styling: turning old kaba and slit into new styles
- Bags, aprons and caps from offcuts
- Training: teach a weekend class or take apprentices
- Fugu and Kente-inspired designs sold with honest labels
- Buttonhole or overlocking service for other tailors, if you buy the machine
Market yourself
Small Ghanaian fashion firms market mainly through WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Add four tools:
- WhatsApp Business is a free app. You can make a profile with your address and hours, a catalogue with photos and prices, colour labels for customers such as "waiting for fitting", and quick replies for common questions.
- Google Business Profile is a free listing that shows your name, address, phone number, hours, photos and customer reviews on Google Search and Maps.
- A sign and a portfolio. Put your name and phone on a sign. Photograph each finished piece, with permission, and keep before and after photos of fits.
- Referrals. Ask every happy customer to send one friend. Give a small discount for the friend's first order.
Money, tax and records
Keep a daily book: income, cloth, trims, wages, power, rent and fees. In Ghana's modified taxation scheme for informal-sector individuals, a person with turnover above GH¢20,000 and up to GH¢750,000 can pay a flat 3% of annual sales, or tax on profit after expenses. A news review says the 2026 Income Tax (Amendment) Act raised that turnover limit to GH¢750,000. The two figures conflict and were not resolved. GRA's small taxpayer office serves taxpayers with turnover below GH¢90,000. Ask GRA which category applies to you.
One month at a tailor's
You sew 10 uniform sets for GH¢105 each, 15 alterations at GH¢25 each and 4 kaba and slits at GH¢170 each. Costs: cloth and trims for the uniforms GH¢500, wages GH¢400, rent GH¢250, power GH¢150, thread and needles GH¢100. (1) What is your income? (2) What is your profit? (3) If 3% of income went to tax, how much is that?
Managing an apprentice
A 12-month apprenticeship with a certified master is one route to self-employment. A large study of Ghana's apprenticeship programme found weak short-term earnings in garment making, possibly because new tailors lacked start-up capital. So help your apprentice plan: teach safety first, give real tasks that grow in difficulty, write down what they have learned, agree a fair allowance and a date to start earning, and help them save for their own machine.
Accessibility
Ghana's Persons with Disability Act, 2006 (Act 715) says people who serve the public must make their services accessible. The Assemblies' disability fund rose from 3% to 5% in 2026, aimed at skills, devices and capital, and the Sekondi-Takoradi Assembly has given industrial sewing machines to persons with disabilities. The Ghana Enterprises Agency has run a grant programme for businesses owned by persons with disabilities. Deaf workers already succeed in garment work: at a Tema factory, supervisors learned sign language and a sign-language dictionary and video tutorials help machinists. Hand-controlled industrial machines exist for wheelchair users. Inclusive design guidance asks for doors about 91 cm wide and turning space for wheelchairs. Plan seated cutting tables, picture instructions for deaf workers and a clear walkway.
Launch kit, level 2
- Score two possible sites with the location checklist.
- Set up WhatsApp Business with a catalogue and quick replies.
- Make a Google Business Profile draft with photos (or write down what you would add).
- Build a price list that includes uniforms, alterations and tailoring.
- Write a one-month accounts sheet and an apprentice plan.
First batch order
Win one real batch order (at least five pieces) with a deposit and a written date, and deliver on time with a quality sheet.
Glossary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Block | A plain pattern made from body measurements, used to build styles |
| Canvas | A stiff cloth inside a tailored jacket front that gives it shape |
| Competent / Not Yet Competent | The two possible results of a CBT assessment |
| Ease | Extra room added so a garment is comfortable to wear |
| Grade rule | The amount a point on a pattern moves from one size to the next |
| Grading | Making a set of sizes from one base pattern |
| Interfacing | A layer inside cloth that gives body and shape |
| Operation | One step in sewing a garment, done at one machine |
| Request for quotation | A buyer asks suppliers for prices on a small purchase |
| SAM | Standard allowed minute: the time allowed for an operation |
| Size chart | A table of measurements for each size |
| Toile | A trial garment sewn in cheap cloth to test the fit |
Logbook
Copy these pages into an exercise book. Your logbook is part of your assessment evidence.
- Unit 1: workshop audit; safety talk notes; accident record
- Unit 2: block, graded pieces, toiles, fit notes
- Unit 3: trousers, jacket and uniform photos; fit records
- Unit 4: machine maintenance record; samples; price comparison
- Unit 5: operation list; timing sheet; cost sheet; quality sheets
- Unit 6: cloth price book; quote; contract; tender steps; GSA answer
- Unit 7: location report; marketing set-up; accounts sheet; apprentice plan; batch order
- Every homework, dated
Self-check quiz
- What do you do first when a machine starts smoking?
- What is the difference between a block and a toile?
- What is a grade rule?
- A chest grows 8 cm between two sizes. How much does each quarter piece grow?
- What does interfacing do in a jacket front?
- Why should you keep a signed sample before sewing a uniform batch?
- What do you check before cleaning an overlocker?
- What does SAM stand for?
- What is the price formula for a batch?
- Who may use the Made in Ghana logo?
- What risk did uniform suppliers report in 2024?
- Name two tools to market your tailoring business online.
Further reading and sources
Best next reads: the YEA garment handbook; the GSA's Made in Ghana page; GRA's modified taxation page; your machine's manual.
What this module does not cover: computer pattern making (CAD), knitwear and embroidery machines, export procedures, current Takoradi fabric and sewing prices (not found; check locally), and the CTVET Fashion Design Technology unit list (not found online).
Every source used in this manual is listed, with links, in the Teacher Copy.