SCBTS envisages an outlay of Rs 1,300 crore during 2017-18 to 2019-20. It will have National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant training courses with funding norms as per the common norms notified by ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship.

“The Government has considered the long requisition of association for allocation of fund to impart skilling to new workers and upskilling. Recognition of prior learning is ‘need of the hour’ to Tiruppur knitwear cluster, which employs six lakh workers directly. It is only by enhancing productivity that the much-needed competitiveness can be attained and sustained in the global market,” Tirupur Exporters’ Association (TEA) president Raja M Shanmugham said in a press release.

“Most of the workers in Tiruppur cluster are self-groomed without any proper technical skill orientation or training and this creates an inconsistency in the production and quality parameters resulting in reputation loss for the country as a whole and this void can (now) be addressed effectively,” said Shanmugham.

He explained that the estimated turnover of MSMEs in Tiruppur cluster is around Rs 30,000 crore and even a 10 per cent saving would yield a savings of Rs 3,000 crore for the industry and by a most conservative estimate, even if 25 per cent of the industry is converted into ‘Zero Defect’ with minimum savings of 10 per cent, it would yield a yearly savings of Rs 750 crores – which in turn would generate an income tax collection @ 30 per cent of Rs 225 crore per annum to the exchequer.

He added that the NIFT TEA College of Knitwear Fashion’s skill division had already trained 15,000 workers and placed the trained candidates in TEA member units. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India