GUIDELINES FOR AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM BASED ON COMPETENCIES FOR ENTRY LEVEL MANAGEMENT POSITIONS IN THE TEXTILE AND APPAREL INDUSTRY

Scope and Method of Study. The major purpose of the study was to ascertain competencies for entry level management positions in the textile and apparel industry in order to develop guidelines for an internship program. Objectives of the study were to identify entry level management positions within the textile and apparel industry; to identify potential internship sponsors for the clothing and textiles students in Oklahoma and in the Dallas-Fort Worth standard metropolitan statistical area; to identify competencies and the degree of importance of each competency associated with clothing and textiles related careers in sales, management/supervision, and design; and to identify variables pertinent to planning a textiles and clothing internship program.; The research was conducted in three phases. The first phase involved the development and pilot testing of a questionnaire among textile and apparel manufacturers in York County, Pennsylvania. Implications from phase one were utilized in refining the instrument for the second phase. Textile and apparel manufacturers throughout the state of Oklahoma comprised the population for phase two. Revision and clarification of the instrument for phase three were made after assessment of the findings in phase two. Manufacturers of textile and apparel products in the Dallas-Fort Worth area comprised the population for the final phase of the study.; A frequency distribution of responses was made in order to analyze data from the instrument. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for the following: (1) careers in sales, management/supervision, and design; (2) importance attributed to a college degree and to a degree in textiles and clothing; (3) demographic variables; (4) importance of each competency; and (5) information concerning implementation of an internship program. . . . (Author's abstract exceeds stipulated maximum length. Discontinued here with permission of school.) UMI...