A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO SHOE INDUSTRY
Izmir University of Economics (IUE), Vocational School, Footwear Design and Manufacturing Program is making a difference at Izmir Footwear Fair, an organization which is very significant for the industry. The program, which enrolled its very first students this year, is displaying their designs to the representatives of the industry and the young designers are getting job proposals onsite at their booth which draws great attention. Their booth is the only one which is represented by an education institution unlike others that are represented by footwear industry.
Gülizar Çalışkan, Coordinator of Footwear Design and Manufacturing Program, stated that the first semester designs of the students were being displayed and they were admired greatly. Çalışkan said, “Our students are capable of both designing with hand drawing quickly and working with computer aided design programs. They transfer the designs onto the shoe molds on the computer and create the stamps for their designs. Our students are displaying their own products at the fair and they are receiving great appreciation. They had contact with some of the industry representatives who are interested in manufacturing their designs. They are making interviews with them. And this is a very good proof that the University is educating and training the qualified workforce needed by the industry”.