The Union government has launched a new institution, Handicrafts & Carpet Sector Skill Council to promote skill development among artisans, craft persons and workers at grassroots level.
The Council will operate from New Delhi and will be responsible for developing occupational standards; setting up labour market infrastructure; introducing certification and assessment mechanism and providing guidance to the artisans, crafts persons and workers in all aspects of skill development.
The new institution was launched by minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy at the 20th Handicrafts Export Awards Presentation Function in New Delhi.
Launching the Council, Rudy highlighted the crucial role of skill development in national development. He said the Council would enable artisans, craft persons and workers to adopt latest techniques and become more productive.
He mentioned that the percentage of India’s workforce that is skilled is very low as compared to that in China, UK, US, Japan and Germany, which shows the great need for skill development in all sectors of the economy.
Skill development is necessary if India were to become competitive in production of good quality products. “Skill India is necessary for the success of ‘Make in India’,” Rudy said. He added that the government has taken up skill development as a mission, as an integral part of national enterprise.
Textiles minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar who presided over the function and distributed the Export awards, appreciated the wide and varied range of handicrafts produced in different parts of the country which are already being exported to different parts of the world.
He said that although exporters are doing an excellent job of achieving high rate of growth, there is big scope for improvement. He exhorted the exporters to develop new lines, new products and to give emphasis on skills and good quality to make products more competitive in world market. He assured that the Ministry of Textiles will extend all possible support in this direction.
