Instructor | Sewing, Embroidery and Garment Production

Project

Somaliland Women and Youth Artisans Empowerment Project

Location of posting

Project Training Centre, Hargeisa, Somaliland

Duration

One year, possible of extension

Number of positions

01 (One)

Reports to

Project Manager or assigned project officer

Job Summary

The Instructor – Sewing, Embroidery and Garment Production will provide practical training to women participants, helping them produce consistently constructed, decorated and professionally finished garments for employment and self-employment.

The instructor will lead sewing, machine operation, garment assembly, embroidery, finishing and production quality control. The position will also oversee routine maintenance and troubleshooting of sewing and embroidery machines to support uninterrupted training.

The successful candidate must have a strong foundation in complete garment construction, including fabric selection, measurement, pattern-making, cutting and fitting. They will work alongside the other instructor, who leads fashion design, pattern-making, fitting and participant assessment coordination.

Both instructors will deliver one coordinated technical programme. Business, entrepreneurship and market-linkage activities will be handled by a separate, dedicated facilitator.

Key Responsibilities

Training Delivery and Curriculum Development

·         Develop, update and implement the approved training programme with the second instructor, ensuring clear learning outcomes and progression from basic to advanced skills.

·         Prepare lesson plans, machine demonstrations, practical assignments, visual materials and competency checklists.

·         Deliver training through demonstrations, supervised practice and repeated production exercises.

·         Adapt instruction to participants’ literacy levels, previous experience and learning needs.

·         Identify the machines, tools, fabrics, accessories and consumables required for each module.

·         Align training with the product requirements and production gaps identified in the project’s market assessment.

Sewing and Machine Operation

·         Teach lockstitch and overlock machine operation, including setup, threading, needle selection, stitch selection and tension adjustment.

·         Demonstrate appropriate matching of needles, threads and machine settings to different fabrics.

·         Develop participants’ ability to produce straight, strong and consistent seams.

·         Teach safe fabric handling and techniques appropriate for delicate, stretch and pre-decorated materials.

·         Demonstrate available zigzag, coverstitch, buttonhole and button-attaching machines according to course requirements.

·         Assess machine-specific competence before participants use specialised equipment independently.

Garment Construction and Production

·         Teach garment assembly sequences and reinforce accurate measurement, cutting, seam alignment and fitting during production.

·         Lead practical construction of abayas, toobs/dresses, dirac, hijabs, skirts, trousers and uniforms.

·         Support progression to women’s suits, graduation dresses, bridal wear, corset-style garments and other advanced products according to participant readiness and available resources.

·         Coordinate with the other instructor to correct pattern, shape and fitting problems identified during assembly.

·         Teach production against approved samples and specifications, including consistent sizes, colours and branding.

·         Organise small-batch exercises for institutional products such as uniforms, gowns, branded workwear and hospitality textiles.

Embroidery and Decorative Techniques

·         Teach hand and computerised embroidery using available equipment.

·         Demonstrate embroidery-machine setup and operation for the designs covered by the course.

·         Teach neat application of beads, sequins, stones, lace and decorative threads.

·         Guide appropriate selection and placement of decoration in coordination with the other instructor.

·         Demonstrate techniques that protect the fabric and maintain garment shape and appearance.

·         Teach consistent reproduction of decorative details and institutional logos where relevant equipment and inputs are available.

Finishing, Pressing and Quality Control

·         Teach overlocking, edge finishing, hemming, zipper and button attachment, and removal of loose threads.

·         Demonstrate pressing techniques appropriate to different fabrics, avoiding burns, wrinkles and distortion.

·         Inspect stitching, construction, decoration, finishing, pressing, branding and durability.

·         Teach participants to identify and correct defects before garments are considered complete.

·         Work with the other instructor to check design accuracy, measurements and fit.

·         Reinforce consistent quality across individual garments and small production batches.

Machine Troubleshooting and Maintenance Oversight

·         Oversee routine care and readiness of sewing and embroidery equipment used for training.

·         Teach and supervise cleaning, lubrication, needle replacement and basic preventive maintenance.

·         Identify and resolve common threading, tension, needle and stitch-formation problems within the instructor’s technical competence.

·         Identify faults requiring specialist servicing and coordinate support through the project team.

·         Maintain records of machine use, faults, downtime, maintenance and servicing needs.

·         Identify required consumables, replacement parts and maintenance supplies.

·         Coordinate maintenance activities to minimise disruption to lessons.

·         Transfer routine equipment-care and first-line troubleshooting skills to participants and local personnel.

Participant Assessment and Learning Support

·         Assess participants’ machine operation, sewing, garment assembly, embroidery, finishing and quality-control skills.

·         Use observed practical tasks and completed products to evaluate competence.

·         Provide assessment findings to the other instructor, who coordinates consolidated participant records.

·         Identify learning gaps and provide corrective demonstrations, practice and reassessment.

·         Contribute to final assessments in which each participant independently completes a garment through the full production process.

·         Support independent competency verification arranged by Y-PEER.

Collaboration and Centre Support

·         Coordinate lessons and complete garment assignments with the other instructor to avoid gaps and unnecessary duplication.

·         Reinforce design, fabric selection, measurement, cutting and fitting during production practice.

·         Provide technical information, including material use and production time, for exercises led by the business facilitator.

·         Support induction, supervised production and machine-specific competency checks for returning beneficiaries using shared equipment.

·         Share knowledge fully and maintain machine guidance, teaching resources and maintenance records for continued Centre use.

Relationships

The position reports to the Project Manager and works closely with the other technical instructor, the dedicated business facilitator and the project team. The instructor will also coordinate with machine technicians and service providers through the project’s agreed arrangements.

Required Educational Qualifications and Experience

Education

·         A university bachelor’s degree, or a recognised advanced technical/vocational qualification with substantial practical training, in Garment or Apparel Technology, Apparel Manufacturing, Fashion and Textile Technology, Textile Engineering, Clothing and Textile Studies, or a closely related discipline.

·         The qualification must include substantial practical garment production and sewing-machine operation. Relevant qualifications may be awarded by recognised universities, technical institutes, vocational institutions, or professional training bodies in the relevant field.

·         Additional technical training in sewing machinery, computerised embroidery or machine maintenance is an advantage.

·         A teaching qualification, vocational instructor certification or training in competency-based education and assessment is an added advantage.

Experience

·         Minimum 2 years of demonstrated professional experience in sewing and complete garment construction.

·         Practical experience operating industrial / domestic lockstitch, overlock and relevant specialised sewing machines.

·         Experience in embroidery, decorative techniques, garment finishing and pressing.

·         Experience identifying common sewing-machine faults and carrying out routine maintenance and basic troubleshooting.

·         Experience teaching, coaching or supervising learners in garment production or vocational training.

·         Experience preparing practical lessons and assessing machine competence and finished garments.

·         Experience producing consistent garments against samples or specifications is an advantage.

·         Experience teaching women with varied literacy levels and prior skills is an advantage.

Required Teaching Capacity

·         Ability to explain and demonstrate machine operation and garment-production techniques clearly.

·         Ability to prepare structured lessons with practical, measurable learning outcomes.

·         Capacity to teach beginners and adapt instruction to different learning needs.

·         Ability to supervise machine practice and provide patient, constructive feedback.

·         Ability to assess independent performance and identify areas requiring additional instruction.

·         Commitment to transferring knowledge fully and coordinating delivery with the other instructor.

Technical Skills and Competencies

·         Strong sewing and complete garment-construction skills.

·         Competence in machine setup, threading, stitch selection and tension adjustment.

·         Practical embroidery and decorative-finishing skills.

·         Knowledge of fabric handling, needles, threads and their compatibility.

·         Ability to diagnose common machine problems and recognise when specialist servicing is needed.

·         Working knowledge of design interpretation, patterns, cutting and fitting sufficient to reinforce the other instructor’s teaching.

·         Attention to detail, material efficiency and production quality.

·         Strong communication, teamwork, organisation and documentation skills.

·         Respectful and culturally responsive engagement with women participants.

Language Requirements

·         Applicants must have sufficient spoken and written English proficiency to prepare training materials, communicate with the project team and deliver technical instruction in English where required. International applicants must provide evidence of this proficiency.

·         Applicants must provide evidence of English proficiency, such as recognised English-language qualification, or an official university letter confirming that their degree was taught and assessed in English.

·         English communication and teaching ability will also be assessed through an interview and a practical teaching demonstration conducted in English.

·         Somali-language proficiency is an advantage. For instructors who do not speak Somali, delivery will be supported by agreed Somali interpretation or instructional support to ensure participants understand the lessons and can communicate effectively.

Selection Process

Shortlisted applicants will be assessed through a structured virtual selection process. The process will verify technical competence and teaching ability without requiring every applicant to have immediate access to specialised machinery during the virtual stage. Assessment may include:

·         Review and discussion of garments, embroidery work and other portfolio evidence personally produced by the applicant.

·         A technical interview on machine operation, garment-production sequencing and quality control, supported by photographs, videos or other practical evidence where available.

·         Discussion or demonstration of embroidery techniques and equipment, using live or recorded evidence where feasible.

·         A scenario-based troubleshooting and routine-maintenance exercise covering common machine faults and appropriate responses.

·         A short teaching demonstration in English on an assigned technical topic.

·         Discussion of assessment methods, knowledge transfer and coordination with the other instructor. Where practical verification is required, Y-PEER may request additional evidence or arrange a practical assessment at a feasible stage of the recruitment process.

Application Instructions

Applicants who meet the requirements should submit:

• An updated CV.
• A cover letter explaining their suitability.
• Copies of relevant academic and professional qualifications.
• A portfolio or clear photographs of their own garments and embroidery work.
• Details of machines they can operate, maintain and troubleshoot.
• Contact details for professional referees.
• Availability and remuneration expectations.

Submit applications to: [email protected]  cc: [email protected] / [email protected]
Email subject: Application – Sewing, Embroidery and Garment Production Instructor
Application deadline: 15th Oct 2026