Srinagar, Apr 27: Seeking to upgrade the skill of the carpet artisans, the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT) Srinagar under its Human Resource Development (HRD) has been offering many short-term as well as long-term training programmes.
 In the programme on carpet manufacturing the aspirants receive training on weaving on modern lines. So far more than 80 persons have been trained under this programme.
 “The aspirants undergoing the training are being provided with a monthly stipend of Rs 2000,” said Zubair Ahmad Mir, Director IICT.
 He said during the programmes the artisans are also trained how to differentiate between good and bad quality raw-materials.
 Haleema of Anchar Soura, who has done 2-month training programme on skill upgradation from the institute, said, “This training has help me a lot; now I can start my own business right at my house.”
  “When more and more professionals will come into this industry, the quality standard of the products will naturally rise and they will have more demand in the market, and thus it can benefit the industry,” she said.
 Echoed Naseema of Khwaja Bazaar, “We are now in a position to set up our own units and thus get employed.” She has done a 6-month course on dying technology from IICT.
 Mir said they also invited certain funding agencies, like Khadi Village Industry Board, State Women’s Development Corporation, State Handicrafts Department, etc, to get artisans acquainted with different schemes available with them, “so that they can avail some loan and get a platform for future and gainful employment.”
 “We don’t want them be dependent upon any middle-man,” he said.
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, the trainees said the schemes were quite useful to them.
 At IICT, they also register the artisans—for most of them are not registered—so that they can take benefit of various schemes available with state and central government, like Credit Scheme, Health Insurance Scheme, etc.
  “We also provide them forms here for the purpose. Then we recommend their names after a proper selection through a committee, for we want only genuine persons to get benefited by this,” said Mir.
  “We have also talked to some leading exporters and manufacturers to set up some units and take artisans from our training centres for that. I am sure that will pick up in near future,” he said.
 The long-term training programmes of six months duration are conducted on dyeing technology. Such training programmes have been specially designed for artisans and outgoing trainees of carpet training centres with the objective to develop multi-skilled artisans, who can independently handle the different processes related to the handicrafts sector.
  “Suppose an artisan who knows carpet weaving only, he is dependent for other activities, say dyeing, on others. So here we train him with other skills as well in addition to his own skills, so that he is not dependent on anybody else,” said Mir.
  “And may be after some time, he can switch over to some other activity. Here also artisans are selected after proper securitization by a selection committee,” he said.
 Two training programmes comprising of 20 persons have been conducted during the last one year and the third such programme with a batch of 10 artisans is presently in progress at the institute.
 “In this programme also, we pay a monthly stipend of Rs 2000 to the artisans,” Mir said.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 IST