YANGON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A well-made garment starts with a well-made pattern. Nearly 40 garment industry professionals and students in Myanmar recently took part in a training course to improve their skills in pattern making and garment manufacturing.
Jointly organized by the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association (MGMA) and the Chinese Textile & Garment Association in Myanmar, the training was held in Yangon and led by instructors from the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Textile and Garment from east China's Jiangsu Province. It focused mainly on pattern making and sample development.
The six-day training, which concluded on Saturday, brought together factory owners, designers, garment workers and students from Yangon and Mandalay.
For Ma Yi Mon Khin, founder of Shwe Poe Mandalay Company, pattern making is the starting point of garment production.
"The first step in manufacturing a garment is the pattern. If the pattern is not right, the whole garment is not right," she said.
She traveled from Mandalay to Yangon to deepen her knowledge of pattern making. As a garment factory owner, she regularly reviews production reports and said that understanding the process would help her identify the causes of production problems and find ways to address them.
The training covered pattern making for jackets, skirts and trousers, as well as other aspects of garment production and ordering.
"The training is very beneficial because it can broaden the vision of participants working in the garment industry in Myanmar," said Su Su Paing, founder of Su Paing Co., Ltd.
Her company also sources fabrics from China, processes them in Myanmar and sells the finished products.
For 35-year-old designer Nang Kham Aung of Diamond Sea Sar Garment Co., Ltd., the training provided an opportunity to acquire new technical skills.
"This is the first time I have attended this kind of training. I learned about pattern making. It is beneficial for me," she said.
The course also included young people preparing to enter the garment industry. Among them was 22-year-old Thoon Sandar Wai, a student who is studying Chinese while developing practical skills in garment production.
"I joined the training as I am interested in garment manufacturing," she said.
She hopes to apply what she learned when she begins working, saying that her Chinese-language skills and knowledge of garment production could help her build a career in the industry.
According to data released by the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration, the manufacturing sector in Myanmar received the largest share of foreign direct investment during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, amounting to more than 245 million U.S. dollars. Myanmar's garment sector plays a pivotal role in the country's economic development.
The MGMA said Chinese investment has brought both capital and technology to the country's garment industry, while the sector relies on China for raw materials and accessories.
Against this backdrop, the association said it hoped cooperation with Chinese garment associations would continue through more technology-focused training programs, which it said would help local manufacturers and workers enhance their technical skills and competitiveness. ■
