Date:01/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/01/stories/2007110155130700.htm

Tamil Nadu

Skill development programme for rural youth to be expanded

Staff Reporter

TIRUPUR: Skill development programme for the youth live below poverty line in rural parts of the country will be expanded further with an aim to impart skill to five million youths, said Subas Pani, Secretary, Union Rural Development Ministry (RDM).

Speaking after presenting certificates for sewing machine operators who completed one-month training and placement orders in the apparel industry at Netaji Apparel Park here on Tuesday, he said the programme partnering with industry and training institutions would be expanded to apparel leather and powerloom sectors too, besides garment sector.

Five-year plan

In the eleventh five-year plan, the Planning Commission is planning to spend a total of Rs. 3,500 crore towards skill development programme.

Dr. Pani said that the Centre was mulling over the programme to train five million rural youths in next five years. The Additional Secretary, RDM, Atul Chaturvedi, asked the APPTEX Manpower Development Services Limited, promoted by the IL&FS Cluster Development Initiative Limited, to implement the programme in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Prasdesh where the population of poor was high. He said the Government would play a supportive role but the industry would be the owners of the programme.

Asking the Rural Development officials at grassroots to identify genuine candidates for the programme, Amar Singh, joint secretary, RDM, said around 30 per cent of population live in poverty and it would be a gigantic task to bring them into mainstream.

Tirupur Exporters’ Association president A. Sakthivel said the garment industry in Tirupur would require another five lakh workers in next five years as it estimated a turnover of Rs. 22,000 crore by 2012.

R.C.M. Reddy, chief executive officer of the IL&FS CDIL, said the public-private partnership programme was introduced after a need assessment. The training module was designed so as to cater to the needs of the industry. Having leading training institutes as training partners, candidates would be assessed for skills against standards set by Methods Workshop, South Africa.

Mr. Reddy hoped the programme would have a major impact on poverty alleviation as well as enhancement of quality.

Data of every trainee would be posted on Internet and industry could place their demand on the interactive portal. First batch of 29 candidates have been offered placement at Poppy’s Knitwear, Tirupur.