This book covers a wide array of topics on skills development in the informal textile and fashion sectors of some developing economies in Africa. The context of informal learning in the textiles and fashion industry of developing economies is rich and diverse, encompassing a wide range of traditional skills, knowledge, and expertise passed down from generation to generation. However, there is a dearth in literature that addresses how skills development in the informal sector of the textiles and fashion industry are promoted to enhance decent jobs and the sustainability of the crafts of individuals.

To fill this gap, this book explores how informal learning could enhance the knowledge and skills development of individuals in the informal sector of the textiles and fashion industry, to enable them to contribute to the economic development of their country and engage in cleaner production practices that serve to preserve the environment. Additionally, this book investigates how informal learning in the fashion industry could facilitate cultural exchange between regions and ethnic groups. Last but not least, this book provides a comprehensive overview of how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the textiles and fashion industry could be supported to develop their business, and to also train more apprentices in the informal sector of developing economies. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working in the informal sector of the textiles and fashion industry.

Yaw Owusu-Agyeman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Adult Education and Human Resource Studies at the University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana. Prior to joining the University of Ghana, he served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Directorate for Institutional Research and Academic Planning of the University of the Free State, South Africa. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), United Kingdom. His research interests span skills development in both the formal and informal sectors, lifelong learning, higher education, academic development, green skills, sustainable futures, innovative pedagogies, and relational pedagogies. Yaw has authored and co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles. He has also authored five book chapters and presented his research at numerous national and international conferences. He currently serves as an Associate Editor of Heliyon (Elsevier) and is a member of the Editorial Boards of Industry and Higher Education (SAGE) and the International Journal of Vocational Education Studies (De Gruyter Brill). In addition, he contributes to the advancement of scholarly research as an ad hoc reviewer for a range of internationally recognised journals.

Cynthia Akua Chichi is a Lecturer in fashion and textiles at the Department of Industrial Art, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana. Prior to joining the university in 2013, Cynthia worked as a Research Assistant at Coventry University, the United Kingdom, and has taught Pattern Drafting and Garment Construction in private vocational institutions in Ghana. Her areas of specialization are in Pattern and Garment Technology, Sustainable Fashion, and Printed Textile Design Application. Her current research project focuses on COVID-19 and how the apparel industry in Ghana, amid the operational challenges, re-purposed itself to have a positive impact.