News Releases

FashionTT Partners with The UWI for Industry Development

For Release Upon Receipt - June 24, 2022

St. Augustine


ST AUGUSTINE, Trinidad and Tobago. Friday 24th June 2022 – The  Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Company Limited (FashionTT) has partnered with The University of the West Indies (The UWI) Faculty of Social Sciences, Business Development Unit, for the enhancement of the fashion industry through FashionTT’s flagship project, the Value Chain Investment Programme (VCIP). The UWI will bring its well-established knowledge and expertise via a robust business development programme which will begin in July 2022. VCIP is FashionTT’s core business initiative which was created to support designers at the various stages of business development. These tiers are as follows: Global Value Chain; Non-Global Value Chain; Business Advisory and Entrepreneurial Proficiency Programme. 

In November 2021, various institutes responded to FashionTT’s Request for Proposals and, through an extensive review and evaluation process, The UWI was selected to take on the roles of consultant, business advisors and training facilitators on the FashionTT VCIP’s Non-Global Value Chain, Business Advisory and Entrepreneurial Proficiency Programme tiers. 

Through this partnership, designers will be trained in the essential components needed by entrepreneurs in that industry to grow their business and drive their day-to-day operations. Some of these focus areas include: Finance your Fashion Business; Quality and Supply Chain Management; Fashion Trends and Data Analytics; Retail and E-commerce Strategies and Business Canvas Modelling. 

“FashionTT is excited to partner with such a reputable institution as The UWI, and to work alongside its Faculty of Social Sciences, Business Development Unit for the development of the fashion industry which has the potential to propel new and emerging designers into new markets across the globe,” said Lisa-Marie Daniel, General Manager, FashionTT. 

Dr. Acolla Lewis-Cameron, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at The UWI St. Augustine Campus added that the Faculty is firmly committed to being socially engaged and solutions-oriented, and to continuing to serve the needs of industry stakeholders, “The UWI recognizes the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in today's business environment as a source of job creation and sustainable economic growth. The Faculty of Social Sciences is ready to support these organizations. Nurturing our entrepreneurs in the sunrise sectors is a step forward as we build our national competitiveness,” said Dr. Lewis-Cameron. “Embarking on this initiative is particularly crucial at this juncture of our country's development as the Government seeks to diversify away from oil and gas,” she added. 

FashionTT currently works with 170 designers annually through the VCIP and will continue its commitment in ensuring that entrepreneurs have the tools necessary for their businesses to thrive, contribute to the national economy, grow the industry and leverage its resources to breakthrough into international markets. 

The UWI Faculty of Social Sciences Business Development Unit currently partners with industry stakeholders locally and regionally for eLearning geared towards career advancement and practical business solutions. The Unit specializes in training within the discipline of Social Sciences delivering innovative, interactive, high-quality professional development training services. 

For more information on this and other programmes being offered by the Business Development Unit, interested persons can visit https://sta.uwi.edu/fss/business-development-unit. 

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Photo Caption: (l-r)

Dr. Shellyanne Wilson - Head of Department, Management Studies/Mentor, Dr. Cherisse Permell-Hutton - Business Development Coordinator, Business Development Unit, Faculty of Social Sciences, Mr. Julian Henry - Entrepreneurial Director, Faculty of Social Sciences/Mentor, Dr. Meena Rambocas - Deputy Dean, Planning and Programming, Faculty of Social Sciences/Mentor, Ms. Lisa-Marie Daniel - General Manager, The Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Company Ltd (FashionTT),Dr. Acolla Lewis-Cameron - Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and Mrs. Amanda Williams - Project Officer, The Trinidad and Tobago Fashion Company Ltd (FashionTT)

About The University of the West Indies

The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and 10 global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

 The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). In the latest World University Rankings 2022, released in September 2021, The UWI moved up an impressive 94 places from last year. In the current global field of some 30,000 universities and elite research institutes, The UWI stands among the top 1.5%.

The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean, it is also in the top 20 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

For more, visit www.uwi.edu.

(Please note that the proper name of the university is The University of the West Indies, inclusive of “The”)

 

 

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