Assessment of the Effectiveness of the Fashion Design Programme of Accra Polytechnic from 1995 to 2010

The competence of an employee in any dynamic workforce is the ability to efficiently perform industry-related tasks, function professionally in a range of roles and situations and to have the capacity for continuous learning, development and change. The researchers attempted to assess the competence/skills acquired by students in fashion designing in relation to the performance expectations of the fashion industry.  It was established that, the industry needs students who are practically inclined and as such students needed more practical lessons that is, theory and practice should go hand in hand to contribute to the effectiveness of the Fashion Design programme. Again, freehand cutting should be incorporated in the curriculum to equip students for specific skills on the job. It was also revealed that competences/skills do not come by easily unless it is taught or experienced personally. In the light of this, the study recommended that: Lecturers should link practice with theory and provide sufficient Industrial Attachment. Students must learn freehand cutting in addition to Flat Patternmaking. Teaching assistants with practical skills should assist students with their practical work. Keywords: Competence, Freehand cutting, Flat pattern making

Evaluating the Benefits of Computer Aided-Design (CAD) in Fashion Education, the Case of Accra Polytechnic

The main purpose of this research was to evaluate the introduction and use of Computer-Aided Designing (CAD) in Fashion Education in Accra Polytechnic over a three - year period (2009-2012). It was revealed that some level of CAD has been inculcated into Fashion Education in the institution in the three specializations (Fashion production, Textiles and Fashion design) as they use the softwares available to draw garments, developing motifs for textiles prints and also to draw human figures. However, there were some challenges confronting the department and the students as well, some of which include insufficient computers and the requisite software equipment. It was recommended, that a CAD Resource Centre for Fashion Education should be set up in Accra with a state-of-the-art hard and software which will provide a suitable environment for teaching and learning for the training of Fashion Design and Textiles students. Also, CAD should be introduced early so that it will motivate students to search for and learn the commands that allow for actions and operations in CAD to enhance creativity and innovation. Keywords: Computer Aided Design (CAD), Skills, Nuffi

An Assessment of the Apprenticeship System as a Means of Acquiring Sewing Skills in Ghana

The purpose of the study was to investigate the current state of the apprenticeship system in acquiring sewing skills in Ghana. The study area was Kaneshie Market in Accra. The proportional random sampling technique was used to select forty (40) master-craftsmen and fifty-four (54) apprentices respectively. A structured interview questionnaire was used to interview the respondents. The Microsoft excel software was employed to analyze the data and the results represented in frequency, percentage distribution tables, bar and pie charts. It was revealed in the study that not many people would like to go into sewing apprenticeship in recent years. The result showed that, majority of the apprentices dropped out in the first year of apprenticeship compared to the second and third years and there were no clear cut methods of training apprentices. It is suggested that the government should provide support to members of the National Tailors and Dressmakers Association to upgrade their skills in collaboration with the technical institutes and be assisted to develop a common curriculum and teaching methods for members to adopt in training apprentices. Keywords: assessment, apprenticeship, sewing skill

Appraising the Use of Computer Technology in Garment Production Firms in Accra/Tema Metropolis

The main objective of the study is to investigate the activities of garment production in relation to computer technology, expose garment producers to some useful computer applications and also to sensitize them to take advantage of the advancement in Computer Technology. The findings of the study revealed the plight and burden of the garment producers. Most of the garment producers had the basic equipments that are just necessary to stay in business but not sophisticated machinery that can be used to produce to meet international standards. Three major problems confronting the garment producers were (a) inability to produce on a large scale (b) inability to produce at competitive prices and (c) inability to satisfy quality standards. Garment producers found in the Accra-Tema metropolis did not have much knowledge of computer technology, but they were delighted about the information that would relieve them of their problem of speed and productivity. Although they listed some disadvantages that may be related to CAD, the advantages outweighed the disadvantages. The study makes recommendation to incorporate computer technology in the fashion curriculum to equip students with the skills ready for the world of work. Keywords: African Growth and Opportunity Act, Computer Aided Design,

The Production and Exportation of Garments under the AGOA Initiative: Challenges Facing Garment Producers in Ghana.

The study investigated the problems faced by garment producers in the production and exportation of garments under the AGOA initiative. The proportionate random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select 100 non-exporters and 10 exporters respectively from Accra and Tema. Data was collected using a well structured interview questionnaire and observation guide. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the data and the results presented in frequency and percentage distributions, bar charts and cross-tabulations. The non-exporters lacked finances; market; skilled and reliable workers; information and sensitization; and had difficulty in adhering to the guidelines of the initiative. The problems faced by the exporters were cumbersome export processing procedures; customs officials’ lack of education on AGOA; high cost of production; lack of raw materials to satisfy buyer specifications; and lack of good quality packaging materials. The Chi-square one-variable method indicated a relationship between the type of training and problems encountered in the production of garments under the AGOA initiative. It is suggested that garment producers form clusters and pool their resources together to effectively deliver good quality garments on schedule. Keywords: Challenges, Garment production, AGO

Innovative capability, strategic goals and financial performance of SMEs in Ghana

Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the moderating role of innovation capability and strategic goals in the financial performance of small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - Innovative capabilities and strategic goals in SMEs and their influence on financial performance were recognized and briefly debated according to the existing literature. Hypotheses were tested on research data on 340 SMEs in Ghana, which were conveniently selected. Finally, quantitative analysis was done, followed by a discussion of the research findings. Findings - Results from the study have proved that strategic goals have a strong positive relationship with financial performance. Also, there is a strong, positive and highly significant impact innovative capacity has on financial performance. Finally, the study found that innovative capability moderates the relationship between strategic goals and financial performance. It showed that at high levels of innovative capacity, high levels of strategic goals boost financial performance massively. Research limitations/implications - The findings are limited to SMEs in Ghana. Researchers should study why SMEs may not pursue any innovation capability activities as they have positive impact on their financial performance. They may also focus on strategic goals and financial performance. Practical implications - The study shows a necessity for longer-term innovation perspectives and a higher level of the importance of the application and assessment of strategic goals. Business owners and caretakers need greater awareness about the importance of innovation capability and strategic goals and their influence on the overall financial performance of SMEs. This will help them to adopt right innovate procedures for their businesses. Originality/value - One of few research works to examine innovation capability and strategic goals on the financial performance of SMEs in a developing country

Exploring how prisoners experience work: A discursive practice approach

This thesis was submitted for the award of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonStudies on prison work have long held the view that giving inmates the chance to work influences their lives and forms a critical component in their rehabilitation. Thus, the frequently touted benefits of prison work include but are not limited to, reducing idleness, financial benefits, skill acquisition, personal character reformation, desistance from crime, and cost reduction. The belief in the efficacy of prison work in providing these benefits has aided in hatching a copious body of practical and theoretical cottage industry of journal articles and books on prison work that extol its values and contributions to rehabilitation, subsequently stipulating suggestions for the working conditions of prisoners. In spite of the popularity of prison work in prisons across the globe, there is still not much empirical evidence about how the procurement of the work flows through the prisons and the ensuing possibilities associated with the process for inmates to comprehend and incorporate into their performance. Drawing on the contemporary turn to practice in social theory as a lens, and conceptualizing practices as the analytical starting point for theorizing work, this study provides a fresh empirical articulation on prison work and rehabilitation by demonstrating how prisoners engaged in working outside the prison walls come to understand work, their motivation to participate and engage in the work, and how the work they do may contribute to their rehabilitation. Developing the thesis’s contribution in the context of Ghanaian prisons, five prisons served as the empirical research sites. Adopting an interpretive approach and an exploratory qualitative research design, the main data for the inquiry were collected from 60 inmates, 20 prison officers, and 10 ex-offenders using semi-structured interviews and observations. Analysed through the reflective gaze of microstoria—the sharing of contemporaneous stories on prison life and work as recounted by prisoners—the thesis sheds light on the lived experiences of prisoners, emphasizing the discursive situated practices that come together to define work in the prisons, and how this work is organized. This was supplemented with publicly available data in the form of Ghana government prison policy documents, prison websites, and newspaper articles on prisons. The study presents three main findings. First, emphasizing how external labour work is organized in the prison, the study found that inmates who participate in external labour activities had to qualify by serving either one-third or one-fifth of their sentences as a precondition for prison work or hard labour respectively. Additionally, inmates had to have exhibited good behaviour as proscribed by the environment of the prison during the time served, as witnessed by other prisoners and officers alike. This highlights the forms of integration in the various climatic conditions in the prisons, which is indicative of the acceptable conduct required of participants who engage in external labour activities. Once an inmate passes this stage, they are seen as duly qualified and are called into a gang and assigned to an officer. Second, using the potlatch system as the analytical starting point, the study highlights property rights, rules of earning and holding positions, and reciprocal exchanges as played out in external labour activities. The active engagement of officers in sourcing jobs for inmates propels inmates to work assiduously in their quest to reciprocate the gifts and kindness that the officers have bestowed upon them. This account highlights the power relations embedded in external labour and is suggestive of the impact of the job sourcing process on the inmates’ perceptions regarding the nature of the jobs which are found in the informal sector and are characteristic of fragmented, flexible and 3D (Dirty, Demanding and Dangerous). While it is undeniable that the sourcing process creates fierce competition for status and prestige among the officers, it also provides several other significant junctions which contribute to the general welfare of inmates in the prisons. Third, the study found that the transgression transparency employed by the prison service, such as publishing the names of inmates who ‘misbehave’ at the gate, making the transgressions of the said inmates known to others, and suspending such inmates from taking part in external labour activities, means that transgressors are prompted to progressively engage in a coactive procedure that facilitates the development of mutually acceptable behaviour. Consequently, inmates are assisted to personally engage in acceptable behaviours espoused by the prisons, hence creating a personal narrative control of their own accord in an effort to enable behavioural change, leading to rehabilitation. Thus, personal narrative control helps inmates to take charge of their rehabilitation and prompts others who engage in or hope to engage in external labour to learn from them. Overall, the study demonstrates the relevance of external labour activities as a promising intervention that, although improperly implemented in the prisons, reinforces the need for a positive, holistic approach to the rehabilitation of inmates in prisons. Thus, external labour refocuses our attention from the dyadic prisoner–officer relationship to a more complex triad of the prisoner as a worker, the officers as middlemen and at times employers, and the state as the general overseer, shedding more light on the varying means by which inmates can be rehabilitated in prisons. A series of practical and policy implications are also suggested to help boost and improve external labour activities and support the rehabilitation of inmates in the Ghana Prisons Service. The study ends with a number of directions for future research

Adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) of COVISHIELD vaccination among healthcare workers in Ghana

Objective To describe the incidence of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) and determine the factors that affect the onset and duration of AEFI after COVISHIELD vaccination among healthcare workers.Design Prospective cohort study.Setting Tertiary healthcare, Korle-Bu, Ghana.Participant Three thousand and twenty-two healthcare workers at least 18 years of age were followed up for 2 months after receiving two doses of the COVISHIELD vaccine.Primary outcome The occurrence of the AEFI was identified by self-reporting to the AEFI team members.Results A total of 3022 healthcare workers had at least one AEFI (incidence rate of 706.0 (95% CI 676.8 to 736.1) per 1000 doses) with an incidence rate of 703.0 (95% CI 673.0 to 732.0) per 1000 doses for non-serious AEFI and an incidence rate of 3.3 (95% CI 1.6 to 6.1) per 1000 doses for serious AEFI. The most commonly reported systemic adverse events were headache (48.6%), fever (28.5%), weakness (18.4%) and body pains (17.9%). The estimated median time to onset of the AEFI following the first-dose vaccination was 19 hours and the median AEFI duration was 40 hours or 2 days. Delayed-onset AEFI occurred in 0.3% after first dose and 0.1% after second dose. Age, sex, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, history of allergies and comorbidity were not significantly associated with the onset and duration of AEFI. However, participants who used paracetamol seemed to be significantly protected (HR 0.15; 95% CI 0.14, 0.17) from having a long duration of AEFI.Conclusion The results of our study indicate a high incidence of non-serious AEFI and the rare occurrence of serious AEFI after COVISHIELD vaccination in healthcare workers. The rate of AEFI was higher after the first dose than after the second dose. Sex, age, previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, allergies and comorbidity were not significantly associated with the onset and duration of AEFI