A National Textile University is on the cards to churn out skilled manpower pool to meet the demand for human resource for the diversified products in the export and domestic market. The proposed institute will be set up under the public-private partnership mode and the ministries of rural development, textiles and the state governments would chip in Rs 500 crore, Rs 250 crore and Rs 500 crore each respectively.
With a proposed investment of Rs 1,50,000 crore by 2010, the institute will have a revamped syllabus, an independent certification and accreditation system which will help meet the supply-demand gap for skilled workforce. The syllabus will mainly focus on latest technology, software designing and CAD structure. Intellectual property rights, development of managerial skill at the middle and lower level in marketing, fabric development and creating an understanding of global trends in the apparel industry have been identified as other areas demanding urgent attention, a senior official in textile ministry told FE . The institute is the outcome of recommendations made by an expert group set up by the Prime Minister to identify areas where skills are needed to be developed to conform to changing scenario in view of the increased demand for new range of products in the textile industry.
The expert group consists of stakeholders and representatives from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), South India Textile Research Association (SITRA), Ahmedabad Textile Industry?s Research Association (ATIRA) and Indian Institute of Technology(IITs). The panel recommended that the industry needed trained manpower with sound understanding of fashion lifestyle, business integrated design, technology and management in the national and global markets.
Union textile minister Shankersinh Vaghela told FE , ?The university will produce manpower with competence and handle sophisticated technologies for manufacture of quality products. New emerging techniques such as CAD/CAM, IT tools, Micro processor controls, automated material handling would mandate training of textile technologists and operators in order to reorient their knowledge and expertise,? textiles minister Shankersinh Vaghela said. The new initiative would impart training at all levels and across all sectors of the industry, whether it is in the job training, institutional or management training. For this, the university will prove to be a strong link between industry and training institutes, Vaghela added.
Under the programme, three centres of excellence to meet requirements at managerial and technical level will also be created at Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai. These centres will be set up on the lines of IITs. The University will finance the capital expenditure on textile and apparel training centres. Operating cost of these centres will be met by self-generated income. The initiative is part of the government strategy to train 65 lakh persons with sound understanding of fashion lifestyle. Business integrated design, technology and management in diverse areas during the 11 th Plan period. The institute would also have 365 training centres called Neighborhood Apparel and Textiles Training Institutes for Job Assurance for semi skilled and skilled persons. These centers will impart training to 20 lakh persons at grass root level also. For this a pyramid structure will be incorporated for looking at the needs of human resource development. It will have a council for policy formation which will work as a nodal agency and have at least 10 resource centres spread region wise for coordination of activities.
Similarly, the capacity of managerial and technical level at National Institutes of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and other such types of fashion institutes will be increased significantly.
A council will work as a nodal agency and have 10 national resource centres spread region wise for coordinating and control of activities. The council will finance the activities of textile and apparel training centres. Operating cost of these centres will be met through internally generated income.
