Date:04/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/04/stories/2006080412290100.htm

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Once unemployed, now entrepreneurs

R. Sundaram

ERODE: These 150 young men, aged between 18 and 25, are entrepreneurs in Erode district providing employment to over 700 people in their powerloom units.

What makes them special is that they were unemployed youth and are now entrepreneurs, thanks to the two-month weaving training imparted by the Powerloom Service Centre in Erode.

The centre has so far conducted 78 classes free of cost to over 2,000 youngsters. Of these 150 have become entrepreneurs.

The Union Ministry of Textiles started over 40 powerloom service centres across the country to develop powerloom weaving and to involve youth in the sector.

The centre trains youngsters in maintaining and operating looms - both the conventional ones and the shuttleless looms. The trainees also learn weaving and fabric designing. It has different types of powerlooms to impart practical training.

Assistant director at the centre, M. Vijaya Singh, said those who had gone in for self-employment purchased the looms with bank assistance. "They were once job seekers, now they are granting jobs to more than 500 persons," Mr Singh said.

He said the powerloom industry faced shortage of skilled workforce. The training has also helped the candidates get jobs in large-scale powerloom units.

"The trained persons were able to get jobs immediately. In fact, some companies are visiting the Powerloom Service Centre and conducting campus interviews and selecting people for their industry".

Kalidoss, an entrepreneur from Chennimalai, who started a unit after the course, says prior to joining the training, he was not aware of anything about powerloom weaving. After the programme he has started the powerloom unit with three looms and now employs 20 people. Another worker Nachimuthu, who operates a Sulzer loom in Erode, says he gets Rs. 120 a day as wages for his eight-hour work. Prior to the training he earned just half the salary for 10 hours of work a day.

Mr Singh adds that in addition to the training, the candidates are guided to start units and to run a computerised laboratory where yarn and fabric are tested.