Skill Development program 2010/2011, Bhubaneswar and Puri

           The Indian Handicrafts sector is not only playing significant role in the country's economy but also providing employment to vast segment of people in rural and semi urban areas. Besides preserving cultural heritage it is also generating valuable foreign exchange as the manufacturing is mainly with the indigenous raw material. The Handicrafts of India through the ages fascinated the world by its creativity, aesthetics and exquisite craftsmanship. It is highly decentralized activity, handicrafts of India present rich cultural heritage and shining example of using local resources, skills and initiatives. India's handicrafts are almost inexhaustible with infinite variety which has been refined during course of changing history. The cross currents inspire the creative impulse of our craftsmen. Further crafts are results of years of unconscious experiment and evolution; skills inherited and passed over generations from ancestor to sons and grandsons.

Pattachitra on bottle

                   The exports of Indian Handicrafts which crossed more than Rs. 17000 Corer in FY 06-07 with an average growth of more than 15 % in last many years started witnessing negative growth in FY 07-08 & FY 08-09. Beside global recession the tough competition from the neighbouring countries especially in the areas of Capacity Development/ Skill Development & Design / Product Development is one of the major reasons envisaged for the continuous down fall of the exports of Indian handicrafts. National Center for Design & Product Development (NCDPD) in association with Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) is envisaged a plan to undertake its 2nd phase comprehensive industry oriented Capacity / Skill Development Programmes at 30 important Handicraft Clusters across India under the aegis of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) and  Ministry of Textiles(Govt. of India) .

·         At present there is no formal or informal customized or tailor made skill development or training programmes being conducted for the artisans / manufacturers/ exporters on cluster wise and product wise apart from the one conducted by NCDPD in 2009-10.

·         The need is being felt since long to institutionalize the training / skill development in the handicraft sector, an ongoing process with an objective to equip the existing manpower with latest know how in all the areas which have become a statutory requirement for the overseas customers as well as the niche Indian Retail sector.

·         Till date no specialized HRD courses being run by any of the institutions which have direct linkage with the industry in the handicraft sector.

·         None of the institutions in the country have specialized courses which are related to the handicraft sector are either purely practical or theoretical or run by ITI type of the institutions in any of the craft pockets such as carpentry school, woodworking Institute or Metal working Institute or Tool Making Centres etc.

·         Due to the non existence/ absence of any industry linked customized courses through institution the handicraft sector could not able to grow and compete with other South East Asian countries which have sector specific specialized training courses and have linkages with the industry so once they are trained the industry can absorb them.

·         Due to the continuous advancement of the technologies, of the manufacturing process finishes, raw material the handicraft sector in India could not able to take a further step as compared to other South east Countries.

·         There is also no specialized institution in India to work as an umbrella organization for imparting specialized and industry oriented trainings both short term and long term. 

·         The proposed skill development and customized training program is continuation program in this direction to provide the training to the needy people across the country.

Pattachitra on Canvas

        The basic objective for implementation of this project titled “Skill / Capacity Development Programs under Human Resource Development scheme of Artisans and Craftsman” is to upgrade the existing skill as well as to add the additional skills to Handicrafts artisans through specialized industry oriented Training Program.                                          

           Handicrafts artisans / manufacturers / exporters shall get the benefits of exposure / interaction with the experts in vivid areas in the related fields. Further the handicraft sector due to concentration in the clusters always have disadvantage of the latest advancements and the proposed effort would able to provide a fill up. The courses shall inter- alias shall be conducted through industry experts and more a practical driven than a Management type of courses. The other objective is to bring change in the mind set to overcome the resistance to change because of lack of knowledge. Capacity Development and Up-gradation of skills of Artisans / Crafts person was one of the major recommendations of the Stakeholders meet organized by the O/o Development Commissioner for the feedback from the artisans/crafts person / SHGs for the integrated development of the Handicrafts sector.

                NCDPD was entrusted with the responsibilities of providing training to the artisans / crafts person by up-gradating the existing skills and adding the additional inputs in design and products development as per the market needs, trends and Forecasts. Capacity development has been envisaged to provide training to the potential entrepreneurs and manufacturers by organizing training programmes to educate and create an environment conducive to the technology development programmes, design workshops

The basic objectives are also briefly narrated as follows:

·         Building-up workforce of new budding entrepreneurs/ artisans

·         Awareness about the new design and adaptation methods with the services of experienced designers.

·         Creation of skilled and trained workforce

·         Focused training programs targeted to the development of skills at par with the best available in the world.

·         Industry oriented and industry linked programs instead of class room training.

                 NCDPD acquired the necessary skills by successfully concluding 200 skill/capacity development programs in 2009-10 at 7 important clusters viz,New Delhi, Khurja, Saharanpur, Agra, Firozabad, Jaipur and Jodhpur. In view of the above, NCDPD has taken up the challenge to organize the customized industry focus, cluster and product oriented Human resource development programs across the country to built up a strong workforce and to create an awareness among the entrepreneurs about the new concepts of the designing, product development, etc. so as to enhance the capacity of the Crafts person, Master crafts person, new entrepreneurs etc The following clusters have been identified for the training and skill development of artisans / craftsmen and exporters

PROPOSED FACULTIES

Textile Designer from NIFT taking class of Design Development

     
       The training sessions will be conducted by renowned experts and consultants in the industry. The faculty will be headed by a panel of experts who will lead and direct the sessions in the 30 locations. National and internationally renowned consultants and experts will form the faculty for the training programs. Highly qualified and experienced faculty from reputed institutions will

Form the panel of experts:
 

Professor of Marketing and Management  taking class of Marketing

       Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT)

National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT)

Pearl Academy of Fashion
Ministry of MSME

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural

Development (NABARD) 
Retailers Association of India (RAI) 
Small Industries Development Bank of India
(SIDBI) 
UP Export Promotion Bureau (UPEPB) 
UP Trade Promotion Authority (UPTPA)

Fair Trade Forum – India