The world is in perpetual evolution. We must then follow his pace for fear of missing everything that happens. And this is valid in many areas of life, including technology, education, food, health, the environment, and many more. For every new thing that is created, we need people who know how to use it. Otherwise, we will have everything we need to avoid a natural disaster, but we can not prevent it, simply because human resources have not been updated.

Fashion is also progressing fast. It is therefore essential that the designers who wish it benefit from adequate updates. Attending trainings or masterclasses is one of the methods you should adopt, even if you plan to enroll in a vocational school.

Why to follow masterclasses or trainings?

Following masterclasses and training can be beneficial for several reasons. The first reason is usually to update or deepen one's skills. But some people participate to better understand a subject or to adapt to a situation. For others, it's about learning new things about something they don't know about. Whatever the reason, having a good training is always a real benefit.

Masterclasses are usually meetings to connect professionals and students. They can thus benefit from the know-how and the experience of the guests to perfect their own experience. But that's not all. It usually follows a dialogue between the different parties, which allows for networking. Today, in all major African cities, masterclasses are organized for stakeholders in the fashion sector. For some vocational training schools, it is a real boon to be able to take advantage of these special moments to train their students. Certainly, practical training is preferred, but there are topics such as digital, finance, management or communication that are not discussed in depth. Being able to involve the students will help them to understand the entire ecosystem related to their field of activity.

For professionals who participate in training, we said earlier that it is most often to deepen knowledge or learn new things. Indeed, when you start in the fashion sector, you can not only rely on your talents as a designer or influencer, for example. You also need to have skills in business management, accounting, digital strategies, and many others. Rather than spend their days in a classroom, many designers don't hesitate to participate in training or masterclass to fill the gap they have in terms of skills.

Where to get trained?

There are more and more training for entrepreneurs today. With internet, you can find them easily. Take a look at the platforms that promote events, and you will discover dozens of masterclasses organized in Lagos, Abidjan, Lome, Dakar, Addis Ababa, etc. Once you know what kind of training you want to follow, you will have a wide choice option. Some courses are expensive, but you will find necessarily masterclasses whose costs will match your budget. However, there are also free trainings. They are most often sponsored. This is particularly the case for Masterclass Fashionomics Africa who were at their 2nd edition in Lagos from 27 to 28 October 2019. A few days before, it was the city of Abidjan which housed this series of masterclasses whose objective is to 'support fashion entrepreneurs, from conception to the realization of their project, and foster the emergence of the next generation of African start-ups in the sector. Masterclass Fashionomics Africa don't fill a void, but rather reinforce what already exists. Above all, they have the advantage of being free. Apart from the physical masterclasses, there is also the MOOC, acronym formed by the initials of Massive Open Online Course. These are online courses open to everyone, and are generally free.

If you have the opportunity, start taking intensive courses in languages ​​often used internationally before following MOOCs or masterclasses. Someone who isn't very strong in French can take an intensive course in this language for example. If you have a lot of trouble with English, then go in English class. This will be very useful because there is very interesting information to discover in these languages.