Niah Rose is studying on the first year of the Fashion and Footwear Design HND at Leicester College. After a period of self-employment where she ran her own business mailing clothes, Niah took the decision to return to education to upskill her technical capabilities.

Niah says: “I have friends at Leicester College who recommended it to me and the facilities are really good. When I was taking my A Levels at another college, for example, we didn’t have nearly as many facilities such as knitting machines.

“On the course, I’m particularly enjoying the digital side and learning CAD skills for sewing patterns. We’ve learnt how to create ‘garment-flats’ using Adobe Illustrator and making 3D models of clothing. I’m also enjoying the pattern cutting and the shoemaking side – I’ve not done that before.

“We’ve also been on industry visits and I’ve recently been part of a live workshop, designing and dressing the winter mannequins at John Lewis in Leicester. That was an opportunity to test my creative skills and gave me exposure to the fashion industry.

“When I finish the course, I’ll be able to bring all that I’ve learnt back to my business or enhance my digital skills.

“The course at Leicester College provides you with a variety of skills and gives a well-rounded view of what things are like, so I’d thoroughly recommend it to new students.”