There are two strategies that Northeast Ohio college students can take to choose a college major that ensures employment:
- Find a profession with largeness and growth and/or
- Find a school that’s the top in its field
Employment in the fashion design and fashion merchandising is not just a glamour job. Self-employment is common. Most jobs are highly competitive and located in New York and California. Job growth is slower than average, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
However, with top local training, students have the best chances of success.
Since 1983, the Shannon Rodgers and Jerry Silverman School of Fashion Design and Merchandising at Kent State University’ has been turning out graduates who go on to lead their professions. Guided by a strong advisory board, students work side-by-side with top industry professionals from JCPenney, Sears and Simplicity Pattern Company, among others. Students consistently win national competitions sponsored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and Target.
Recently, the fashion school received a $1 million gift from the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation. that provides “world-class quality leadership” for the next ten years from Elizabeth Rhodes, an exceptional industry visionary leader, according to Rick Kellar, the foundation’s president.
Over thirteen full-time faculty use hands-on and real-life experiences with over 700 students. Study tours to Europe and Asia are offered on a regular basis. Facilities include a studio in New York City, an international school in Florence, Italy and study opportunities in Hong Kong, London and Paris.
The NYC Studio is a new 4500-square-foot space with lecture room, computer lab and world class design studio, located in the heart of New York City's Garment District, where one-third of all clothing manufactured in the USA is designed and produced and home to America's world-renowned fashion talent.
The Kent State location has several CAD (computer-aided design) labs for digital fabric printing. pattern-making and 3-D merchandising. It houses world-renown library and museum.
A Bachelor of Arts in Fashion Design is available on two tracks with different emphasis:
- Conceptual design with illustration
- Problem solving and technical design skills with strong construction skills.
In Fashion Merchandising, a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and a five-year MBA are available.
Basic coursework includes color, textiles, sewing and tailoring, pattern making, fashion history, computer-aided design (CAD), and design of different types of clothing such as menswear or footwear.
In addition to general admission requirements, applicants to the fashion design program must submit a skills assessment, including drawing and machine stitching samples, and a letter of intent and ‘statement of honor”. The school offers Academic Discovery days and shadowing for high school students for an in-depth exploration of the program.
Visit http://www.fashionschool.kent.edu/for more information
Median annual earnings for salaried fashion designers were $62,610 in May 2006. Earnings in fashion design can vary widely based on the employer and years of experience. Starting salaries in fashion design tend to be very low until designers are established in the industry. According to the Department of labor, some fashion designers also combine a fashion design degree with a business, marketing, or fashion merchandising degree, especially those who want to run their own business or retail store.
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Jill Bernaciak
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My mission is to empower youth with: - The knowledge about career possibilities, and the education and training needed to attain them - The creative-thinking and emotional skills that make for good career decisions and which employers prefer; - And the resilience needed to flourish in life.
