Handicrafts training programme in Traditional Hand Embroidery craft at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and Khaperkheda, Maharashtra; cane and bamboo crafts at Betul, Madhya Pradesh and DakshinDinajpur, West Bengal are some of the good examples of how skill gap in the industry is being improved.
In this regard, Ministry of Textiles (MoT)’s Samarth Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector has been instrumental in erasing this skill gap.
First batch in each of the 63 training centres has successfully completed the training programme that has benefitted 1,565 artisans. The second batch will also complete their training programme during the month of August 2021, which will benefit another 1,421 artisans.
Additionally, 65 new handicrafts training centres are being established to scale up the training programme so that maximum number of artisans can be benefitted.
In a statement, MoT informed that it has adopted 65 clusters for the overall development of artisans in a time-bound manner by ensuring self-sustainment of the artisans of these clusters.
The need-based interventions are being implemented for benefiting the artisans of these adopted clusters. The upskilling of the handicrafts artisans in these adopted clusters is being done by providing technical and soft skill trainings under SAMARTH scheme so as to enable sustainable livelihood either by wage or self-employment.
The objective of the scheme is to provide demand-driven, placement-oriented skilling programmes to supplement the efforts of the industry in creating employment in textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding spinning and weaving in organised sector.
It is pertinent to mention here that the proposals were invited from State Government agencies/industry/industry associations for undertaking training programmes under the Samarth scheme.
After evaluation of these proposals, the MoT has partnered with 13 State Government agencies, 90 textile manufacturers, 11 industry associations and 4 sectoral organisations of MoT for training of 3.3 lakh beneficiaries in textile sector, following physical verification of training centres.
Notably, Government released funds of Rs. 72.06 crore in 2019-20 and Rs. 90.70 crore in 2020-21 to Implementing Partners (IPs) under Samarth scheme.
