In India, the textile sector accounts for the second largest share of employment after agriculture but with technological modernisation being the key to high intensive growth, labour-intensive industries like textiles require not only skilled workforce but also vocational training for knowledge building. Under the Integrated Skill development Scheme (ISdS), Modelama Skills Pvt., ltd. is partnering with the government for many Central and State Skill development schemes, being presently run in centres across India. In an exclusive conversation with Apparel Online, vineet lall, director, Modelama Skills Pvt. ltd. shares the challenges associated with skill development and the constant need for the industry to support such initiatives.
Being the lead implementation agency under ISDS, Component II in the apparel and garment sector, Modelama operates various training centres in Delhi-NCR, UP, Rajasthan and the North-east. Based on the most common job profiles in the apparel industry, the company provides relevant courses in hand embroidery, basic sewing machine, basic sewing operator, supervisor, checker, quality assurance and industrial engineer. What makes this initiative unlike many already existing in the industry is a strong and motivated team driven by the commitment to change conditions at the grassroots through community mobilisation and getting them jobs in the apparel industry. Good admin support, robust MIS, an efficient HR, etc. provide a foothold to Modelama’s initiative on the ground. “For initiative such as this, a strong inclusive team management is required where people need to believe in what they are doing. I can make any process I want to, but if my trainers, mobilizers and people on the ground don’t believe in what they do, then they will never be motivated to do it,” argues Vineet.
One of the major challenges of skill development initiative is to address the needs of huge population by providing skills in order to make them employable and help them secure decent work. With the constant demand from the apparel industry for skilled labour, it becomes even more important for the industry to initiate such programmes and develop the skills of the workforce to fill the gap. According to the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council (NMCC), there is a need to create 7-8 million jobs in the manufacturing sector, even to remain at the present unemployment level. As per this report, a large number of people will shift from agriculture and they could be employed mainly in manufacturing sector as most of them do not have the skill set required for employment in service sector. It has been further emphasized that the apparel sector will be the main sector for providing employment to these people.
“For initiatives such as skill development, a strong inclusive team management is required where people need to believe in what they are doing. I can make any process I want to, but if my trainers, mobilizers and people on the ground don’t believe in what they do, then they will never be motivated to do it,” – Vineet Lall, Director, Modelama Skills Pvt. Ltd.
Challenges of enrolling and retaining trainees…
Through IT-enabled systems, Modelama Skills has direct control over the people enrolled in the trainings, the quality of the followups and the mobilisation of the community. The company also has a reporting system which helps them to analyze the programme in three parameters, namely the reasons for dropping out, spending less time at the training sessions and ways to make the course interesting. The company has data sets for the percentage of drop-outs, people spending less time in the courses and people not coming for assessment. Despite providing free trainings, Modelama’s skill development and training programme is marred by challenges such as the difficulty to first enroll people and then motivate them to continue and complete the course. The company tracks the drop out through a ‘calling remarks’ system where they investigate and analyze the reasons for dropping out from the programme. “People are so diverse and the opportunity cost is so huge that I have to literally hold on to every person. We help them to see their benefit, more than what they themselves can see. But we want to add value at every step and say why not? If this has not happened then what is the reason,” reveals Vineet.
To retain people in courses, the company is trying to improve the quality of mobilisation by constantly motivating the community to join the apparel industry and getting skilled people such as mechanics, who have competency and skills required rather than trainers. Also, the company tries distributing tea-biscuits after 5 hours of the training so that people complete it. “It’s taken us time to establish our centres. We have closed many, but opened others as well. We look for places that are close to the industry, semi-urban areas with large number of domicile population. I think this is the next logical step for the industry. If the industry has to survive in these clusters it cannot depend on migratory labour,” asserts Vineet.
People can learn how to stitch but ability to withstand production targets is not everybody’s cup of tea. We need to soften the landing to the industry and make them stay for 2-3 months. If they see the environment and our policies, then they invariably stick on.
Involving industry for employment opportunities…
Apart from enrolling and retaining people during courses, it is also important for them to be inducted into the system, i.e. get placed. This is where the role of the industry is crucial! Though there are some people in the industry with active HR departments and involved owners, who know what the labour needs and maintain excellent interview records and analysis but these numbers are only few. “We keep saying that we don’t understand our labour, but have we tried to understand them,” questions Vineet. The other thing is to acclimatize the workforce with the production pressures of the industry, which is quite demanding. “People can learn how to stitch but ability to withstand production targets is not everybody’s cup of tea. We need to soften the landing to the industry and make them stay for 2-3 months. If they see the environment and our policies, then they invariably stick on,” adds Vineet. He also suggests that instead of giving 10 per cent to the training partner, it should be given to the person who has taken the job as motivation. “If the Government wants ‘n’ number of people being employed, and employability, then the candidate must hold on to this employment also,” claims Vineet.
Keeping in mind the trials that surround this initiative, Modelama Skills is coming up with various strategies to feed the labour challenges faced by the apparel industry. Currently, the company is targeting domicile workers, those who are secondary bread earners of the family. Also, the company is pushing for the ‘jail’ project, i.e. training the people in the jails in order to provide them livelihood options when they leave from there. “We can create a system where people in the jail are able to make a kitty which we can directly link it with the bank and give them loan when they come out or organize placements. If the jail allows us to follow the guidelines of ISDS, the industry also has to come together for such an initiative as mobilisation is a huge task,” maintains Vineet.
Taking note from countries such as Myanmar and Ethiopia who are aggressively training their workforce to tap the huge market for apparels, Modelama’s initiative needs to be lauded and supported. “Now China is thinking of quality and when they start focusing on quality then we have had it! We are very complacent of the fact that they can beat us in quantity but our quality is better. When they get it right then where do we stand? Now the growth is not 10 per cent a year, but inflation is,” declares Vineet. Till date, the company has placed 2,780 people and trained 7,500 people through 45 days’ training programme. Though ISDS may have its share of setbacks, but it is what the industry needs right now with proper ground implementation and procedures. “We need to put our act together as we are a high employing industry. We as an organization or team have not reached out to a level that we should have. There is still more that needs to be achieved through constant industry support. Currently we are at places where the Government is not there. Who sends ZUKI machines to Aizawl? We have done that.” concludes Vineet.
