The Coir Industry is a labor intensive and export oriented industry employing more than 6.5 lakh people in small-scale as well as large-scale industries. The decentralized operations in the coir industry without adequate training of spinners and weavers have been causing problems particularly for ensuring the desired level of quality in the ultimate products.
Inferior quality may ultimately turn out to be detrimental to the survival of the industry, particularly it being a traditional product, in the present context of unprecedented competition on account of globalization and liberalization. Skill development is, therefore, an essential pre-requisite for the overall development of the industry and to accelerate the proliferation of the industry into non-traditional areas.
For newly developing brown coir sector in coconut producing regions, the demand for training facilities for imparting skills of artisans is substantial, particularly in the context of developing post fibre activities. In this area, a large number of trainers are required to conduct the training for artisans at the field level to develop the production base. Taking note of the need for training managerial/ supervisory personnel, trainers/ instructors and skilled artisans in adequate numbers, a three-tier training system has been envisaged.
The Three-tier Training System
- Training for managerial/ supervisory personnel
- Trainers Training Programme
- Training for artisans and orientation programmes for skill up gradation
Objectives
- Training personnel in the cadres of supervisors/ instructors/ artisans and to meet the requirement of skilled manpower for the development of coir industry.
- Helping in transfer of technology to non-traditional areas through development of skill of coir workers.
- Providing self-employment to rural woman artisans in regions producing coir fibre and enabling them to get better returns through improvement of productivity and quality. Providing them with a better work environment and elimination of drudgery involved in the traditional method of spinning.
- Encouraging new entrepreneurs both in traditional and non-traditional areas of Entrepreneurship Development Programmes to venture into coir industry and trade and thereby accelerate the development of the industry in the existing and new areas.
- Aiming at inculcating quality consciousness among the workers at grass root level and to educate them on proper methods of producing standard quality fibre, yarn and products.
- Contributing to generate employment in rural areas of the coconut producing States.
Skill Upgradation
Coir Industry is a traditional industry engaging more than 6.5 lakh workers, out of which 80% are women. Since the increased production of coconut husk can be utilized for income generation and economic advancement of the rural workforce, the promotion of coir industry in the non-traditional areas assumes significance. To train this young generation of skilled workers required by the Industry both in the traditional and non-traditional areas of coconut cultivation, the programme, “Skill Upgradation” has been formulated.
The Coir Board will continue to impart training in the processing of coir to artisans and workers engaged in the coir industry through its training centers, i.e., National Coir Training and Design Centre (NCT&DC), Kalavoor, Alleppey and Research-cum-Extension Centre, Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu.
Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement Programmes are undertaken by the Board for improving the quality of the products produced by the coir industry. The sustainability of the demand for the products produced by the coir industry depends largely on the quality of the products both in the domestic and international markets. The quality improvement programmes are organized by the Coir Board on a regular basis in the traditional export-oriented sector and other areas viz. automatic coir yarn spinning sector, Coir pith processing sector, product manufacturing sector and other coir processing sector in all the major coir producing centres of the country.
Quality Improvement Programmes (QIP)
The details for conducting QIPs are given below:-
- QIP will be organized by the Regional/ Sub-regional Officers of Coir Board at places where industry has already taken root.
- The programme will include technical sessions, practical demonstrations, workshop, seminar, etc. The duration of the programme will be three days.
- The workers will be paid an honorarium at the uniform rate of Rs. 50/- per day against loss of their wages for the days they are attending QIP.
- Expenditure for conducting each QIP will be limited to Rs.20, 000/-.
An Awareness Programme will be organized and its expenditure will be up to Rs. 26,000/-.
Mahila Coir Yojana
- Self employment to rural women artisans in regions producing coir fibre is its main aim.
- Over the last two decades, production of coir fibre has substantially increased in India.
- Conversion of coir fibre into yarn on motorized ratts in rural households provides scope for large scale employment, improvement in productivity and quality of coir fibre, better working conditions and higher income, which ultimately leads to the improvement of the standard of living of rural woman artisans.
Various steps envisaged:
- Conduct regular training programs for supervisory cadre, artisans at the National Coir Training and Design Centre, Kalavoor, Alappuzha in Kerala.
- Conduct training programmes in spinning/weaving in rural areas by organising Field Training Units in the potential areas in all coir producing States in association with PSUs/Co-operative Societies/NGOs.
- Conduct short-term training in the manufacture of Coir Pith Organic Manure at the National Coir Training & Design Centre.
- Conduct short-term training on the application of Coirret for retting coconut husk/ fibre and treatment of ret liquor at National Coir Training & Design Centre.
- Organise special training to State Govt. officials/craft teachers/functionaries of coir co-operative Societies.
- Organize a need based training programme for prisoners in jails and tribals in tribal areas.
- Conduct trainers training programmes for supply of trainers to the field training units.
- Conduct training in repair and maintenance of coir processing machineries to the mechanics
- Organise training programmes in the preparation of new designs, pattern and diversified use of coir in association with National Institute of Design.
- Conduct special training for workers of the newly set up manufacturing co-operative societies with the funding support of NCDC.
- Conduct training to the existing spinners in spinning coir yarn on motorised traditional ratts in all coir producing States.
Conclusion
We hope that the scheme works the way it is designed so that maximum benefits can be taken from it.