Not coming to the sewing profession as a pre-determined choice, Mr. Nguyen Duy Long (born in 1986) decided to switch directions after 2 missed favorite aspirations.
He studied Garment Technology and Fashion Design at Hanoi University of Industry. Initially, he only considered this a temporary plan, but the more he studied, the more he realized his passion for the profession.
After graduating for a few years, Mr. Long had his first daughter, but unfortunately her child suffered from cerebral palsy. At that time, Mr. Long decided to stay at home to both work and take care of his child.
I understand the hardship of families with sick children like me, so I want to share my knowledge. Especially with friends in difficult circumstances, with physical disabilities, and vulnerable people so that they can support themselves and take care of their families...", Mr. Long shared.
When someone comes to the sewing class with the desire to have a stable job and not become a burden to society, Mr. Long directly teaches and creates learning conditions. Students from afar can study online and receive the full tuition fee of the course worth more than 10 million VND; students who study directly get a 50% tuition fee reduction.
In the early days of opening classes, Mr. Long had to do many things at the same time, from expertise to organizing classes. The most difficult thing was transitioning from a professional to a vocational teacher. Although he was trained in a specialized field, when switching to teaching, he realized that this is a completely different field, requiring continuous adjustment of methods so that anyone can understand and do it when studying.
Up to now, Pho Xua tailoring class has been open for more than 10 years, maintained in 2 forms of learning: direct and online. Before receiving students, Mr. Long often discusses specifically about family conditions, learning goals and plans after graduation. For him, learning tailoring is not just about "learning to know", but must have a clear goal so as not to waste time and costs for learners.
The special feature of the class is that it is not organized in classes or fixed courses. According to Mr. Long, this learning method helps students proactively arrange vocational training time in parallel with making a living.
I organize classes so that when everyone is free, they can study, so that the time for students to go to other jobs, without having to come to class according to fixed hours," Mr. Long said.
According to Mr. Long, each person has a different ability to absorb lessons, if vocational training is done in a large class, it will not be highly effective. Therefore, he chooses to "hold hands and guide" each person so that no one is left behind or has to follow the progress of others. During teaching, he always observes and supports students when they need it, from how to adjust machinery to sewing posture...
For disabled students, Mr. Long observes and supports from the most basic things. First of all, it is to reduce the financial burden because most people with disabilities are in difficult circumstances and do not have enough conditions to attend long-term courses. In addition, he supports accommodation for students far away, helping them feel secure in their studies.
The classroom space is designed by him to suit each student. From adjusting machinery to sewing posture, lowering tables for people with modest height, making slopes for wheelchairs to move... "I do everything to make students feel comfortable, feel this is a safe and convenient environment for them to focus on vocational training without being burdened by physical or psychological barriers," Mr. Long said.
Ms. Tran Thi Phuong (35 years old, from Vinh Hung commune, Phu Tho province) - a student at Pho Xua tailoring class since 2023. Ms. Phuong has a dream of becoming a fashion designer and wants to own her own tailor shop, but unfortunately has a leg defect since childhood. Ms. Phuong knew Mr. Long through social networks, knew that he had helped many disadvantaged people, so she followed the class.
Ms. Phuong shared: "When I came to study with teacher Long, I didn't feel any strangeness, the warmth and joy here gave me a sense of familiarity. He lectured very easily, always guiding each step in detail, so I absorbed quite quickly even though I didn't have much experience before. During the learning process, he always enthusiastically instructed and corrected every small mistake so that students could do it correctly and make it more beautiful. Not only teaching about skills, he also shared a lot of practical experience in the professional process, how to advise customers, how to maintain prestige and develop long-term work. He also regularly encourages and motivates students to be more confident after graduating.
Thanks to her time studying in class, Ms. Phuong is confident and is pursuing a career in her hometown.
According to Mr. Long's sharing, the success of students is the joy and motivation for him to maintain the Pho Xua sewing class. "Seeing you success, I am very happy because although the help is not large, at least I have contributed a part to that journey," Mr. Long said emotionally.
