SMART monsoon issue by ATDC SMART

Between The Covers 04

‘Open’ Dialogue

in focus ‘Open’ Dialogue will be a forum to discuss, debate and disseminate ideas that we hope will shape the present and future of the textile and apparel industry

UPSKILLING apparel sector The Apparel Training & Design Centre’s SMART hubs are helping the government implement the Integrated Skill Development Scheme and prepare an industry-ready workforce

1 0 flashlight Breaking New Ground

news flags

l ATDC model lauded in UK

Chief Patron: Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman AEPC, ATDC & IAM

l ATDC, Careerstrokes join hands for soft skills training

stories to tell

l Textiles Minister meets apparel exporters of Rajasthan l Government team studies skill pyramid at ATDC l ATDC shares training experience with Africa

l ATDC changed ‘Pattern’ of my life l Imbibing confidence l Learning forever

briefs

Honorary Managing Editor: Sh. Hari Kapoor, Vice-Chairman, ATDC Chief Editor: Dr. Darlie Oommen Koshy, DG & CEO-IAM & ATDC

l Campus placement at Gurgaon

Conclave

ATDC organised its annual Principals’ Conclave in the Southern & Western Region and North, East & Northeastern region

annual day

ATDC Faridabad awards students for excellence

Editor: Ms. Aanchal Prabhakar Jagga Content and Design: IANS Publishing CONTIBUTORS: ATDC FIELDLEVEL AND STATE-LEVEL TEAMS

SMART Newzine is a bi-monthly publication of ATDC. All rights reserved. Content from SMART Newzine may be reproduced with permission. Feedback/ suggestion/articles send to: smartnewzine@atdcindia.co.in

he apparel industry is facing the twin challenges of higher attrition rates along with increasing minimum wages. There is a pressing need to improve productivity and efficiency at all levels. The apparel industry members have realised the urgency in this direction and are pro-actively working on bridging the skill gaps. ATDC, under the aegis of AEPC, took up the implementation of Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, to train youth, women and other disadvantaged sections of society in employable skills for the apparel industry on a Pan-India basis since February 2011. Since then, ATDC has commenced over 100 centres to offer SMART (Skills for Manufacturing of Apparel through Research & Training) courses and has exceeded the target of training 14,000 candidates, as of March 31, 2012, apart from training around 274 trainers during the year. ATDC is providing vocational skill education through industry relevant programmes which will help the rural candidates to seek wage employment in the growing apparel sector. The introduction of ATDC-IGNOU Community College (AICC) and SMART training projects are important game changers for ATDC and will create a self-sustainable path in the medium to longterm. The ATDC-IGNOU Community Colleges provide continuous supply of junior and middlelevel professionals while the Core Courses through SMART Centres under the ISDS of Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, ensure supply of shop-floor workforce to the skill-starved apparel sector. I am happy that ATDC’s new ‘SMART NewZine,’ which brings out various apparel skill-related news and views, is now in your hands. I look forward to receiving your views/feedback to the contents and our initiatives.

DR. A. SAKTHIVEL CHAIRMAN, AEPC, ATDC & IAM

flashlight

Breaking new ground A workshop by ATDC-SMART TOT Academy and the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel imparts skills to ATDC trainers and industry professionals that will help them achieve a common goal: enhanced productivity

t all began with a thought — while the needle touching the fabric was important, wasn’t the hand holding it just as significant? That thought shifted the focus to “improving the human movement, the posture and various functions performed by the operators”, recalled Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, Director General & CEO, ATDC & the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM). “The message was clear: we needed to train instructors in a modern and sci-

entific way, so that they could pass on the acquired knowledge and help upgrade the skills of people employed in the Indian apparel industry,” Dr. Koshy added. And it was to achieve this goal that the ATDC-SMART Training of Trainers (TOT) Academy was set up. The next step was to bring in international expertise and hold workshops with renowned experts from India and abroad to impart the latest skills to trainers. The first such workshop — spread over five days and titled ‘Work Study Techniques’ — was held in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Institute of Textile and Apparel (SLITA) at the ATDC-

SMART TOT Academy in Gurgaon from April 23 to 27, with 25 trainers and industry professionals participating. “The reason Industrial Engineering (IE) is billed as the most crucial element in the development of the apparel industry, especially in India, is because a massive human force needs to be trained scientifically for better results. The aim is to focus on techniques that will help in streamlining the production line and enhancing productivity,” said B.L.S.P. Nishantha, head of SLITA’s Clothing Technology Department. “The Gurgaon sessions focused on how to measure work, how to create the production line, assign operations on a scientific basis to minimise loss and maximise output. If we balance the production line scientifically, nearly 80 percent of the problems will be sorted out,” explained Nishantha, who has undergone training in the UK, Japan, Singapore and Thailand.

Despite being such a vast country, inDia’s apparel export stanDs at only

$11 billion, while sri lankan exports currently are at

$4 billion

“Despite being such a vast country, India’s apparel export stands at only $11 billion, while Sri Lankan exports currently are at $4 billion. India has the capacity to improve the quality — what is required is training the human resources available,” said Upashantha Rathnayake, a SLITA Technologist. “With more and more such interactions, India and Sri Lanka can, in fact, play the role of a service provider in skill development for the global apparel industry,” he added. For P. Mohanty from ATDC-Odisha, the training has been a transformative experience. “Our concepts are clear now. If we apply these teaching methods in our day-to-day curriculum, we can produce skilled IE professionals in far greater number,” said Mohanty. Other ATDC trainers echoed Mohanty’s views, saying the workshop enhanced their knowledge and would help them train students better. “The training helped me brush up my knowledge of industrial engineering. It is a very important subject for our students,” noted Pooja Anirudh Pandharkar of ATDC Noida. For industry professionals, too, the workshop was a revelation. “The workshop was useful, especially the rating methods for operators. We went through videos/clippings on Motion Economy, Production Planning and Control, etc., and how they are applied on-the-job. I will now go and imple-

274

over people have been traineD so far, covering all sMart centres. they are our seeD farM — for future generations

ment these techniques in my factory. I thank ATDC for this,” said Rajsekhar U., an IE manager with Blackberrys, one of the top apparel brands in India. Amit Agarwal, IE manager, Radnik Exports, felt that ATDC should organise more training sessions for industry people who have hands-on experience on the floor and need to upgrade their knowledge and skills. The workshop with SLITA, the firstof-its-kind, will help ATDC trainers to launch future programmes in a correct manner, felt Roopali Shukla, head, ATDC-SMART TOT Academy, Gurgaon. “We will send the training modules to all our centres and that will work as ready material for standardised teaching. The industry linkages for such workshops, on the other hand, help us know the current trends,” she stressed. According to Dr. Darlie Koshy, “The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, under the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS), approved four such TOT academies to be set up

and in 2011, we launched Gurgaon. In December 2011, we started Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The third one is planned in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, that will be operational this July/August. Over 274 people have been trained so far, covering all SMART centres. They are our seed farm — for future generations”. “Our attempt is to bring more courses at the supervisory level. We are looking at examples on how to begin six-month, one-year diploma courses in supervisory management to strengthen the mid-level supervisory chain. We are also deliberating on addressing issues like crisis management and HR-related issues,” informed Dr. Darlie Koshy. “More such programmes will be organised in the near future, towards realising the Government of India’s goal in the Decade of Innovation,” said Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council-AEPC, ATDC and IAM. The “seed farm” has begun to bear results.

the gurgaon sessions focused on how to measure work, how to create the production line, assign operations on a scientiﬁc basis to minimise loss and maximise output. B.L.S.P. Nishantha, head, SLITA’s Clothing Technology Department

IN SUMMARY

The SMART story unfolds...

DR. DARLIE O. KOSHY DG & CEO, ATDC & IAM

There are many challenges facing the skill development in our country. They include issues of quality, scale of achieving huge numbers, mobilisation of trainees and training of trainers. When the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, entrusted ATDC with the mandate of training 1.72 lakh people for the apparel sector in October 2010, we had to look at a host of steps which entailed: l Upgrade

In a two-part series, Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, who believes in ‘design democracy,’ takes us through the past on how the idea to skill millions of people in the apparel sector via initiatives like ATDC-SMART Centres, TOT Scheme and Community Colleges came into being, and the roadmap ahead...

31 x

Contact: Apparel Training & Design Centre, National Head Office Paridhan Vikas Bhawan, Plot-No. 50, Institutional Area, Sector-44, Gurgaon-122003 Phone: 0124-4659500/01 Website: www.atdcindia.co.in

of infrastructure in tandem with the apparel industry’s technological advancement. l Creation of relevant curricula which can be executed on a fast-track basis which will have a bearing of efficiency and productivity of the shopfloor workforce. l Upgrading the skills and competency of the faculty resources which will then help upgrade the quality of teaching and training inputs and last but not the least, the employability of the candidates and the linkage with the apparel industry, so that they are placed in such a manner that they get the wages of a skilled worker. We went about addressing these issues in a systematic manner by which several initiatives had to be taken under the guidance of EC of AEPC, BOG of ATDC and, above all, extensive cooperation and support of the Ministry of Textiles (MOT), Government of India (GOI). They can be summarised under the following major heads: Creation of Brand ‘SMART’ for Shopfloor Courses Our field studies and discussions with the apparel industry doyens, potential candidates and their parents revealed that textile and apparel industry has been passing through turbulent times and diminishing attractiveness of industry made it slip out of top of the mind of potential candidates. There were also issues of the youth getting attracted to schemes such as MGREGA, etc. Thus, we had to create a BRAND which was contemporary and would help us position a number of courses in today’s context of modern apparel industry which is eco-friendly, energy saving, compliant with the international standards, etc. We also wanted to encourage systematic manufacturing practices to achieve consistency in production and delivery. SMART was thus conceived as ‘Skills for Manufacturing of Apparel through Research & Training’ — as a brand which stands for the above factors. The humane quality of the whole endeavour was also visually represented by embedding a young man and woman as part of the ‘M’ in the Brand. The brand also stands for research into the training methodology and pedagogy. Thus, the SMART brand was launched as part of national launch of Integrated Skill Development

Scheme (ISDS) of MOT, GOI on October 8, 2010. Since then, the brand has captured the imagination of over 20,000 candidates as of April, 2012 and more than 75 percent of the candidates have been employed by both export and domestic apparel units. Setting-up of ATDC-SMART Training of Trainers’ (ToT) Academy Early in the day itself, we had realised the need for high-quality trainers who would make a world of difference for building-up sound quality of the training programmes which will differentiate ATDC among the competitors as well as the minds of potential candidates. We initiated the ToT Academy as part of the approved Detailed Project Report (DPR), first in Gurgaon with the objective of upgrading the skills and competencies of existing and new faculty resources. In addition, the academy has been entrusted for the task locating and identifying international experts to offer high-quality training in the areas in which India is weak like Industrial Engineering, etc. The Academy has also been given the task to create digital contents for blended-learning approach, for the courses offered under SMART, and to create ‘online’ support system for aiding learning in the long run. The Academy has performed well so far, training 300 candidates in key areas and constantly evolving to take on various responsibilities. The second Academy has become operational in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and the third Academy will become operational in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, by July/August this year. Infrastructure and Technology It is well established that China, which has achieved $153 billion of apparel exports, cornering 68 percent of the market and Bangladesh, which has crossed $18 billion, would not have been able to do without upgrading of its technology with Under Bed Trimmer (UBT) machines and various advanced workstations, etc. The Indian apparel industry was slow in upgrading the technology which can be seen from the fact in the first edition of (Technology Upgradation Fund) TUF scheme, there was less than 4 percent off-take of funds by apparel sector. Also, the IT usage in the sector has been pathetically low, at less than 15 percent of the total population. However, in the past few years, industry units have upgraded their machines as the difference between the cost of labour and the machines came down drastically, and much more leaner and smarter factories are taking shape. Realising this, ATDC’s training infrastructure, which was all set up in the period 1996-2008, had to be upgraded to the level of industry...

... to be continued

news flags

ATDC model lauded at UK event

2011

IN SEPTEMBER , ATDC WAS AWARDED THE ‘UK-INDIA SKILLS FORUM AWARD’ UNDER THE ‘BEST SKILL PROVIDER’ CATEGORY

t the ‘Indian Delegation on Skills & Training’ event held in the United Kingdom from April 16 to 19, participants lauded the ATDC model of imparting skills and training for its effectiveness. Held on the sidelines of India-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) at the Royal Society of London, the ‘Indian Delegation on Skills & Training’ event was organised by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC, and Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, DG & CEO, ATDC & IAM, represented ATDC on the occasion. Participating at the Joint Working

Group meeting on skill development on April 16, both Mr. Kapoor and Dr. Koshy underlined the importance of expanding the scope of training in ATDC to include knowledge and the positioning of various trades like carpentry, interior decoration, etc. The FICCI delegation was led by Sharda Prasad, IAS, Director-General, Directorate General of Employment & Training, and Joint Secretary, Government of India, while R.C.M. Reddy of the UK-India Skill Forum was the co-chair of the delegation. Mr. Kapoor and Dr. Koshy also visited Wolverhampton University, which has a Quality Assurance Agreement with IAM, and made an assessment of the future

programmes — especially of home fashion and styling — that could be offered in India. They also discussed the possibility of offering a one-year B.Ed. certificate programme at the Training of Trainers Academy of ATDC with Wolverhampton University. Mr. Kapoor and Dr. Koshy undertook a visit to the Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU), for exploring the bridge programmes on International Fashion Practice as a topping-up programme on Higher National Diploma qualification. Besides the ATDC team, others who participated in the ‘Indian Delegation on Skills & Training’ event were: Prof. K.C. Reddy, Chairman, Rajiv Education and Employment Mission of Andhra Pradesh (REEMAP) and Vice-Chairman, Rajiv Education and Employment Council of Andhra Pradesh (REECAP); Gauri Gupta, Lead Strategy and Programme Development, National Skill Development Corporation; Abhishek Gupta, Head of Operations, BASIX Academy for Building Lifelong Employability Ltd.; Jitender Kalra, CEO, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation and Dr. M.A.A. Khan, Chairman, HKT Group of Institutions, among others. AWARD FOR ATDC In September last year, ATDC was awarded the ‘UK-India Skills Forum Award 2011’ under the ‘Best Skill Provider’ (Government-funded Category), at the 4th Global Skill Summit 2011, organised by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, and FICCI.

ATDC, Careerstrokes join hands for soft skills training In view of the increasing importance of soft skills in enhancing one’s job performance and career prospects, ATDC has tied up with www.careerstrokes.com, a division of Sun Online Learning India Pvt. Ltd., for imparting soft skills training to its students. Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Faridabad, Haryana, along with LMC members of ATDC, Faridabad, and Dr. Darlie O. Koshy launched the tie-up at the Annual Day celebration of

ATDC Faridabad on April 25. As part of the initiative, four modules focusing on teamwork, communication and goal-setting, stress management and health and hygiene have been developed. The modules used movie clips, examples and videos from the world of cricket and apparel industry. Sun Online Learning India is owned by Kris Srikkanth, National Selector, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

Govt team studies skill pyramid at ATDC

enior officials from the Office of Advisor to the Prime Minister on Skill Development visited the Apparel Training & Design Centre’s (ATDC) National Head Office in Gurgaon recently and appreciated the initiatives taken by ATDC in imparting skills. The team, led by Mr. J.P. Rai, Executive Director, National Council on

ATDC SHARES TRAINING EXPERIENCE WITH AFRICA

Skill Development, interacted with top officials of ATDC, including Mr. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC, and Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, Director General and CEO of ATDC and Institute of Apparel Management (IAM). The officials took first-hand experience of the activities at the ATDC Centres and also interacted with trainers

and students. Mr. Rai appreciated the ATDC for its excellent role played in skill development and said the National Council on Skill Development would work closely with ATDC. “ATDC is clearly in the vanguard of imparting skills to the new generation today, equipping them to meet the requirements of the apparel industry in the modern world,” Mr. Rai said. “Our endeavour will be to work with ATDC and other similar agencies to ensure that the opportunities offered by the apparel industry are fully tapped for skill development and employment, which in turn will provide a further boost to the apparel industry in India,” Mr. Rai added. Shikhar Agarwal, Private Secretary of Mr. S. Ramadorai, Advisor to Prime Minister on Skill Development, was among the senior officials who visited ATDC, NHO, along with Mr. Rai. Dr. Darlie Koshy said ATDC has taken a number of steps to address the skill deficit faced by the apparel industry in India.

TEXTILES MINISTER MEETS APPAREL EXPORTERS OF RAJASTHAN

articipating at the ‘Origin Africa 2012 Ethiopia Show’ in April, Gopal Bhasin, General Manager, ATDC-SMART Project, made a presentation on ‘Effective Merchandising, Production Management and Communication for Becoming a Global Professional,’ and shared ATDC’s experience in imparting vocational skill training for the apparel industry in India. ATDC was invited to the event by the African Cotton and Textiles Industries Federation. Distinguished faculty members from leading universities and technical institutes, industry experts, and buyers from leading retailers also participated and made presentations related to technical aspects of the fashion and apparel industry.

ith a view to interact with the textile exports promotion councils and other stakeholders of the apparel industry in Rajasthan, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Textiles Anand Sharma attended an event organised at Hotel Clarke Amer in Jaipur, Rajasthan, on April 6. Welcoming the Minister, Dr. A. Sakthivel, Chairman, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), ATDC and IAM, highlighted the achievements of the ongoing ATDC-SMART training programmes in the state. Dr. Sakthivel also addressed various issues concerning exporters in the garment sector. Minister Sharma also spoke on various issues concerning exporters in the garment sector.

news flags

Regional Principals’ Conclave

Charting the course for ‘12-13

Southern & Western Conclave

n line with its decision to organise the annual Principals’ Conclave regionally from 2012, the first Annual Regional (Southern & Western Region) Principals’ Conclave 2012 was organised at the integrated ATDC Campus, KINFRA International Apparel Park, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, from

North, East & Northeastern Conclave

he Regional Principal’s Conclave (North, East & North-East Zone) was held at Paridhan Vikas Bhawan in Gurgaon from March 12 to 14. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. A. Saktivel, Chairman, AEPC, ATDC & IAM, lauded ATDC for developing a comprehensive ‘skill pyramid’ and fulfilling workforce requirements — from the shop floor to the managerial level — in the apparel industry and encouraged the principals to take the initiatives to the next level. He said that ATDC should focus on quality upgrade and improving industry linkages. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC,

February 6 to 10. The conclave focused on formulating a clear strategy and detailed plan of action for the year 201213 as ATDC needs to meet the target of training 34,000 students under its ATDC-SMART Training Project and over 4,000 at the ATDC-IGNOU Community Colleges. Day one saw opening remarks by Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, former Vice Chancellor, IGNOU, and Principal Secretary, Science & Technology Department, Government of Kerala. Prof.

Pillai congratulated ATDC for its focused leadership and execution in developing skill training designed for the apparel sector. Prof. Pillai suggested that ATDC could also consider including science and technology skills as garment manufacturing also entailed knowledge of such skills. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC; Dr. Darlie Koshy, Director-General & CEO, ATDC & IAM; and Dr. C.K. Ghosh, Nodal Officer, Community College Unit-IGNOU, also shared their ideas with the ATDC team. The key highlights of the action plans adopted at the conclave included effective and fast-track upgrade of ATDC-IGNOU Community Colleges and preparedness for training 34,000 candidates under the ATDC-SMART Training Project in the next phase. The conclave ended with a managerialcum-motivational workshop by Dr. Shankar Goenka, Country Head, WOW Factors.

and Dr. Darlie Koshy, Director-General & CEO, ATDC and IAM, highlighted the fact that the apparel industry would re-

quire approximately 10 million additional workers by 2020 and more than 15,000-20,000 trainers.

ATDC Faridabad celebrates Annual Day Besides awarding the students for excellence in academics and co-curricular activities, a new initiative for soft skill development was announced

he Annual Day celebration at ATDC Faridabad had something for everyone. If the welcome song by the students — accompanied by an incandescent dance performance — set the mood, the interactive session with the successful alumni emboldened the students to aim for higher goals. Celebrated at Faridabad Industries Association House on April 25, the event was attended by Dr. Darlie Koshy, DG & CEO, ATDC & IAM; Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad; Inder Pal Bishnoi, SDM, Ballavgarh; Poonam Malhotra, Principal, ATDC Faridabad, and Vijay Jindal, Convener, ATDC Faridabad LMC, besides other teaching and non-teaching staff and representatives of industry. In his opening remarks, Jindal spoke of the important role ATDC was playing by providing employment-oriented training and education to youth. He said that to make their education & training even more relevant to the apparel sector, the institution would focus on increasing industry-student interaction. Dr. Koshy outlined the emerging op-

portunities in the apparel industry in a fast-developing country like India. Pointing to the increasing demand for apparel within and outside the country, he said that over 100 ATDC centres across the country were now engaged in training the vast human resource required in the apparel industry. “After agriculture, the textile & apparel industry employ the highest number of people in India,” Dr. Darlie Koshy noted, adding that ATDC was a unique institution in the sense that it catered to the training of all – from the worker to the manager – in the industry. While the SMART programme can help school drop-outs, those wishing to pursue collegelevel education can join the ATDC Community College, he said, adding that education under the SMART programme was available at a nominal fee, being subsidised by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India. Dr. Koshy also announced that the Faridabad institute would be housed in a sprawling new 20,000 sq ft campus by

year-end, for which he lauded the efforts of the LMC and senior EC Members for having envisioned the future of Apparel Industry in Faridabad. Principal Poonam Malhotra said the Annual Day was meant not only to facilitate students, but also to understand how the alumni of the institute were placed in the industry and what lessons the current students could learn from them. D e p u t y Commissioner Dr. Rakesh Gupta congratulated ATDC Faridabad for helping a large number of youth, especially women, in getting meaningful employment. He also gave away the prizes to the students for excellence in academics and other co-curricular activities.

initiatives

briefs ATDC SMART Skill Camp in Andhra Pradesh

240 underprivileged students felicitated

Kasu Venkata Krishna Reddy, Andhra Pradesh’s Minister for Cooperatives, inaugurated the ATDC-SMART Skill Camp at Narasaraopet, about 40 km from Guntur, on March 25. Around 100 candidates attended the event and expressed gratitude to the ATDC management for bringing an on-site training camp to their doorsteps. Bhupal Reddy, IRS, Mission Director, Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA), was the guest of honour. K. Krishna, Project Director, MEPMA, and other local leaders and government officials were also present at the event. ATDC was lauded for opening the skill development camp in their area, a move that it would benefit local youth. The event was coordinated under the leadership of Sri Rami Reddy, Project Head and Sri P. Vinay Kumar, Project Co-ordinator, Ramky Foundation.

Skill development camp at UP village

TDC Patna distributed certificates and stipends to NSFDC-HPCL-sponsored candidates, belonging to the scheduled castes, on April 27. The chief guest at the event, Hemchandra Prasad, Administrator, Bihar State Scheduled Castes Cooperative Development Corporation, and its Executive Officer, A.K. Choudhary, gave away the SMART certificate and cheques of `1,000 each to 229 successful candidates who underwent training in two courses: the SMART Operator (Basic) and SMART Quality Checker. Appreciating the methodology and place-

ment assistance provided by ATDC Patna to the trainees, Mr. Prasad said, “This is the first joint initiative between Bihar SC Corporation and ATDC Patna, and it will be continued for the betterment of unemployed scheduled caste youth in Bihar.” He also announced that, in the coming year, 200 NSFDC-sponsored scheduled caste candidates would be trained in GCT and PSQC courses that would commence from June 2012 at ATDC, Patna. Mr. A.K. Choudhary also appreciated the available infrastructure at ATDC Patna and the placement assistance provided by ATDC.

With a view to improve the livelihood of young boys and girls of Jamo block in Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, ATDC Kanpur has set up a SMART-Skill training camp to impart training in the field of garment exports. The ATDC-SMART Skill Camp, at Nirmala Ram Lakhan Singh Inter College at village Rajapur Bhoye in Jamo block, has 20 sets of industrial sewing machines and trains 25 candidates per batch in the sewing machine operator course. After successful completion of their courses, candidates will be able to seek employment with the apparel-exporting units.

SMART awareness campaign in rural Rajasthan As part of its efforts to create awareness about the SMART programmes in the rural areas of Rajasthan, ATDC Jaipur participated in the Science Day exhibition held at Nawalgarh in Jhunjhunu district, about 300 kms from Jaipur. Rajasthan’s Social Justice Minister Ashok Bairwa and Health Minister Dr. Raj Kumar Sharma inaugurated the event, organised by Rajasthan Science and Technology Department. Several officials, including District Collector Joga Ram, visited the ATDC-SMART stall. Over 5,000 people visited the exhibition.

NITRA inaugurates Technical Campus T

o augment the existing training and education activities, Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA) has set up NITRA Technical Campus (NTC), a new hub of professional excellence, at Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region (NCR) of New Delhi. Spread over an area of 50 acres, the institute is equipped with latest infrastructure facilities and boasts of a multi-facility wi-fi campus. For the year 2012-13, NTC is offering three programmes in the areas of Engineering & Technology (Textile Technology and Computer Science and Engineering) and Management (Post-Graduate Diploma in ManagementFashion Retail Management). Jointly established by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India and the textile industry in 1974 to conduct research and provide technical services to Indian textiles industry, NITRA is one of the leading textile research institutes in India. Primary activities of NITRA include research & development, training & education, consultancy, quality evaluation and publications. At present, NITRA offers 11 programmess — five full-time and six distance learning courses — for working executives to enable them upgrade their knowledge and skills.

ATDC trainees felicitated

mbuja Cement Foundation at Dumas in Surat, Gujarat, felicitated its candidates trained at the ATDC-SMART Skill Camp at Budiya in Gujarat by distributing certificates at a ceremony on March 23, 2012. ATDC arranged placements for successful candidates at Banswara Synthetics, Surat. President of Ambuja Cement Foundation, Mr. A.L. Kapur, appreciated the initiatives taken by ATDC in providing placements to the trained candidates. He said Ambuja Cement Foundation would provide further support by sponsoring more than 200 candidates for training under the ATDC-SMART Training Project.

Training provided to female prisoners A

TDC Raipur has provided training to 31 female prisoners of Central Jail, Raipur in Chhattisgarh in SMART Operator Advanced course. Central Jail Superintendent Dr. K.K. Gupta (IPS) hailed ATDC’s efforts in conducting such skill training for the inmates of the Central Jail.

He opined that the inmates came from different social background and that such skill training could help them change their mindset. Dr. Hemangi Bhure, Principal, ATDC Raipur, informed that SMART training for inmates could help the inmates gain meaningful employment after their release from the jail.

ATDC Kolkata holds garment exhibition tudents of SMART Sewing Operator Basic & Advanced Course of ATDC, Kolkata exhibited their garments at ATDC-IGNOU Community College, Kolkata on May 3. The students were sponsored by State Urban Development Agency (SUDA), Bidhan Nagar Municipality and District Industries Centre (DIC), Hooghly. While SUDA & Bidhan Nagar Municipality sponsored 50 students, DIC, Hooghly sponsored 35 students. In the morning session, the officials from SUDA and Bidhannagar Municipality along with LMC (Local management Committee) members and judges from SUDA appreciated the students’ work

SMART launched at ATDC Santoshpur he first batch of SMART OperatorAdvanced (SOA) and SMART Operator-Basic (SOB) training programmes, sponsored by the Directorate of Textiles, Government of West Bengal, was inaugurated at ATDC Santoshpur on April 10. Present on the occasion were: Somnath Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Director, Directorate of Textiles, Government of West

Bengal; Tanvir Afjal, Sub-Divisional Officer and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, South 24 Parganas district; Kasturi Das, MLA, Maheshtalla Assembly constituency; Dipika Dutta, Councillor, Maheshtalla Municipality; and Atanu Bannerjee, Deputy Director, Directorate of Textiles. The dignitaries shared their knowledge and encouraged students to make the most of the opportunity being provided to them through ATDC-SMART Training Project.

and declared the winners in each group. In the afternoon, DIC, Hooghlysponsored students exhibited their garments. Officials from DIC, Hooghly, Industrialist Jayanta Pal and LMC members judged their garments and declared the winners.

AWARENESS CAMP IN MADHYA PRADESH

ith a view to mobilise candidates for implementing the SMART training projects in and around Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh, a team of ATDC members organised an awareness camp at Jagannath Higher Secondary School, Narsinghpur Naka, on April 17. Over 500 students attended the camp. The school’s principal, Rajendra Singh Bais, said that, as a result of the awareness campaign, a few students came forward to enrol in the SMART Sewing Machine Operator (SOB) course which began on April 28.

initiatives

Workshop on home linen, value addition ith a view to improve the technical skills of the weavers in the areas of merchandising production and quality improvement, ATDC Okhla organised a two-day orientation workshop on home linen and value addition at Surajpur (Greater Noida) in Uttar Pradesh on March 29-30. The workshop was organised with the contribution of SETU (Society for Empowerment of trade and upliftment of artisans).

The major areas covered in the workshop were: importance of quality for exports, enhancement of productivity, importance of timely deliveries, packaging quality, basic knowledge on regulations for exports, export license, documentation, etc.

Annual Day at ATDC Erode TDC SMART Centre, Erode in Tamil Nadu celebrated its first Annual day on April 26. The event was graced by Mr. Subramaniam, President, Erode Exporters’ Association and Mr. Amulraj, District Project officer, Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Corp Ltd., Erode. ATDC-SMART Centre, Erode trained 365 students during its first year of operation. The successful trainees were placed in various segments.

Seminar on industrial sewing machines

TDC Bhubaneswar organised a seminar on ‘Computer controlled Machines in Apparel Production,’ along with Juki India Pvt Ltd., at ATDC Bhubaneswar premises on April 27. The seminar was conducted by Govind Singh, Manager Juki India. Over 65 participants from Institute of Textile Technology, Chouduar; College of Engineering and Technology; Women’s Polytechnic Bhubaneswar; Dhenkanal Polytechnic and other institutes attended the event.

ATDC changed ‘Pattern’ of my life

TDC Faridabad conducted a seminar for its students on industrial sewing machines recently. The presentation was given by Shital Jaiswal and Nakul Mansinghka, Technical Sales Managers with M/s Pegasus Sewing Machine Pvt. Ltd. The experts explained to students about the various types of machines under Industrial Sewing Machines (ISM) and their usage in the Industry. They provided an insight into the types of seams and the machines used to produce those seams as per the buyers’ requirement and specifications. The students were given an overview of the range of Pegasus sewing machines.

espair started to creep into young Kuldeep’s mind as his search for a suitable job after successfully completing secondary education yielded no result for a long time. But one day, he chanced upon an advertisement on ATDC’s job oriented courses and immediately decided to give it a try. He took admission in Apparel Pattern Making course in a nearby ATDC centre. Soon after completing the six-months course, Kuldeep joined Richa Global Exports at Mayapuri Industrial Area in New Delhi as a Pattern Master. Kuldeep was happy, but not satisfied. He wanted to move up the ladder and

ATDC Tirupur shines at trade fairs

o spread awareness about the vocational education courses, ATDC Tirupur participated in the 34th India Knit Fair, an exclusive international trade fair on knit garments, and the ‘Garment Fair-2012’ held at Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, from April 18-20. The fair was organised by AEPC, Tirupur Exporters Association and India Knit Fair Association. More than165 buying agents and 47 buyers attended the event, along with students, academia and allied industry stake holders. Students of ATDC Tirupur exhibited garment samples/embroidery swatches

and surface ornamentation samples done by them. The fair provided a platform for the students to understand the buyer's needs, showcase their abilities and interact with the clients. ATDC Tirupur also participated at the first edition of education fair by Innovative Trade Fairs held at M/s Gayathri Mahal, Tirupur from April 28-29 to spread awareness about the education options and job opportunities in the apparel sector. Organised by Tamil daily Dinakaran, the fair witnessed the attendance of over 5,000 visitors.

ndertaking a visit to ATDC Surat on March 22, Jitubhai Baghela, Vice-President of Gujarat Schedule Caste Development Corporation Ltd (GSCDC), said the organisation would provide sponsorship for Diploma and Associate Degree programmes to interested trainees. A sponsored programme of GSCDC has already commenced at ATDC Surat. During the visit, Mr. Baghela met all the trainees, looked at the garments designed by them, and appreciated their efforts. ATDC Surat principal S.D. Joshi explained the activities of the centre to Mr. Baghela.

ATDC Rohini

GSCDC to sponsor trainees Seminar to spread awareness

stories to tell

ATDC Faridabad

ATDC Dilshad Garden

Learning forever

Imbibing confidence

ife is beautiful. This is what young Pooja thought in her early childhood. But the meagre means that her father could manage as a manual labourer was not sufficient to fulfill even the basic needs of her family. But Pooja was determined to change the fate of her family for the better. Thanks to the SMART Quality Checkers training course offered by ATDC Dilshad Garden, Pooja has today realised her dreams. Soon after completion of her course, she found a job with the Radnik Group at Noida in Uttar Pradesh. She now has a different outlook towards life and wants to live with dignity.

Pooja is among the 19 girls who were selected by a joint selection board formed by ATDC Dilshad Garden, and Sambhava Foundation members. The foundation provided 80 percent of fees as soft loan to all the candidates as they were poor and needed financial support. All the 19 girls are today working with the garment exports industry in Noida.

placements

Campus A placement at Gurgaon

gain more technical expertise. So he decided to pursue a one-year Diploma Programme in Apparel Manufacturing Technology offered through ATDCIGNOU Community College. After completing his course in January, 2012, Kuldeep successfully got placed as a Production Control Auditor with Orient Craft Pvt Ltd. Gurgaon, Haryana. "Being only a class-XII pass out, I faced a lot of difficulty in finding a suitable job. Therefore, when I saw the advertisement in the newspaper for ATDC’s job-oriented courses, I decided to give it a try. Ever since that decision, my life has changed,” Kuldeep said.

t a campus interview on March 27, as many as 31 ATDC candidates were selected by two Gurgaon-based companies. While Indusmode Apparels Pvt. Ltd. hired 22 candidates, nine candidates were hired by Orient Craft Ltd. Interviews were also arranged at MM Export and Pee Empro, both in Faridabad, on March 28. Seven more candidates were selected by Modelama Exports at a separate campus placement interview held at Paridhan Vikas Bhawan, Gurgaon, on April 30.

wenty-six-year-old Virender had worked as an operator for six years, three years at M/s Scorpio and another three years at M/s SPL Industries Pvt Ltd. But his thrust for learning and achieving higher goals kept prodding him to do something more in life. So one fine day, he decided to pursue one-year Diploma Programme in Apparel Manufacturing Technology from ATDC. He joined ATDC Ballabgarh in Faridabad in January, 2011 and successfully completed the course in December, 2012. Immediately after the term-end examination, Virender was selected in Industrial Engineering Department of M/s M.M. Export House as an Industrial Engineer. He is now earning a handsome salary.

in focus

The Apparel Training & Design Centre’s SMART hubs and Skill Camps are helping the government implement the Integrated Skill Development Scheme and prepare an industryready workforce

Upskilling Apparel The trauma of an early marriage. A mentally unstable husband with no steady income. And abusive in-laws. Life could not have dealt her a worse hand. But Anita was not one to wallow in self-pity. She was determined to change her fate. And change it did, when she found herself among the 19 candidates selected from over 80 for the SMART Quality Checker Programme. Today, as a qualified Quality Checker at Radnik Exports, a garment exporter, Anita is a financially independent woman with skills that ensure her employability. Her life has taken a dramatic turn — for the better.

nita is just one of the thousands of people who have benefitted from the “skilling mission” undertaken by the Apparel Training & Design Centre (ATDC). In 2011-12 alone, over 14,000 joined the country’s skilled workforce at ATDC-run SMART Centres

— SMART being the acronym for ‘Skills for Manufacturing of Apparel through Research and Training’. It was in October 2010 that ATDC was chosen as the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India’s nodal agency for implementation of its Integrated Skill Development Scheme. And it is today the largest skill provider for the apparel industry. With over 100 SMART Centres across

India, it provides highly specialised training for the apparel sector. From basic and advanced sewing operators to supervisors and pattern makers; from machine mechanics and quality controllers, to those into retail sales, ATDC helps enhance skills across the industry’s spectrum of workers. This, in fact, is just the beginning of what could be a skilling revolution. ATDC, which functions under the aegis of the government-promoted Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), targets to train a whopping 1.72 lakh people in the next five years. “After exceeding the target for 201112, ATDC is gearing up to train another 34,000 this fiscal to meet the growing demand for skilled personnel in the apparel industry. More importantly, over

75 percent of those trained by us have been employed by apparel units — both domestic as well as exporters,” says Dr. Darlie O. Koshy, Director General & CEO, ATDC & the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM). The SMART initiative is just one part of ATDC’s skilling mission. To enhance the usefulness and reach of its training programmes, ATDC has been recognised by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to launch the ATDC-IGNOU Community College. Together, the SMART Centres and the Community College have trained over 40,000 people in the past three years — more than the 35,000 trained in the decade before that! These numbers are a boon for the apparel industry that is facing an acute shortage of skilled labour, with demand for trained professionals far outstripping supply, notes Mr. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC. Not surprisingly, adds Kapoor, “Most of the candidates have job offers even before they complete the training course.” The trend, he feels, will continue as the apparel industry witnesses strong growth in next two decades. “We have a huge domestic market of 1.2 billion people. With rise in purchasing power, demand will only grow.” The SMART training project, sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, GOI, reflects the spirit of “imparting skills and improving lives”. It aims to fill the skill gap existing between unskilled labour and employment requirements of industry through specific training programmes for youth who drop out in

SMART Courses: Choose Your Pick PROGRAMME NAME

DURATION

ELIGIBILITY

l SMART Operator

1 1/2 months

5th pass or Equivalent

1/2 months

5th pass or Equivalent

1 months

5th pass or Equivalent

1 Months

8th pass or Equivalent

l SMART

Machine Technician

1 1/2 months

10th pass or Equivalent

l SMART

15 days (per module)

5th pass or Equivalent

(Basic) l SMART Operator

(Advanced) l SMART Finishers

and Packers l SMART

Quality

Checker

Surface Ornamentation Techniques

the fifth to eighth grades in schools and are also in need of vocational training. “People in the rural areas need to be trained and get jobs. This is our focus now. We have the infrastructure and the government is supporting us,” says Dr.

A. Sakthivel, Chairman, AEPC. India’s share in the global apparel business is 3 percent (worth $13.5 billion). “We are aiming to double this to $26 billion in next three years and we need to train more and more people for this,” adds

Most of the candidates have job oﬀers even before they complete the training course... We have a huge domestic market of 1.2 billion people and the demand will only grow. Mr. Hari Kapoor, Vice Chairman, ATDC

in focus

‘We’ve an ambitious skill development target’ Union Minister for Textiles Anand Sharma — who also holds the Commerce & Industry portfolio — is extremely bullish on India’s “globally competitive” textiles and garments sector. In an exclusive interview with SMART Newzine, he elaborates on the sector’s strengths, the support extended by his ministry as well as the key role skills development must play for the industry to continue maintaining a robust rate of growth. Excerpts:

ATDC’s SMART courses also hone the soft skills of candidates. The aim is to create a workforce with good communication skills, and better personal grooming, hygiene and health awareness. The imATDC and SMART Centres will only grow in the future.

Dr. Sakthivel, who is also President of the Tirupur Exporters’ Association. Skilling or training workers in such large numbers is not easy. For, the question is: who will train them? ATDC’s answer was to launch a unique initiative — the Training of Trainers (TOT) Academy. Two such academies are already up and running in Gurgaon and Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and a third is being set up in Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh. The TOT Academies have already trained 274 trainers. In a competitive world where technology is changing every second day, “we need better trainers so that we can compete globally”, points out H.K.L. Magu,

Vice Chairman (NR), AEPC. Adds Dr. Sakthivel, “We are facing an acute shortage of good instructors. Our ATDCSMART TOT Academies will fill the gaps.” ATDC’s SMART courses also hone the soft skills of candidates. The aim is to create a workforce with good communication skills, and better personal grooming, hygiene and health awareness. “Soft skills add to the candidate’s value. It enhances their employability. It is extremely important for both getting jobs and promotions,” says Mr. Kapoor. As the apparel industry grows, it will require an additional workforce of 10 million by 2020. The importance of institutions like ATDC and SMART Centres will only grow.

The government, too, realises this. In his Budget speech for 2012-13, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee doubled the allocation of funds for skills development under the National Skill Development Fund to `1,000 crore, raising the corpus to `2,500 crore. A substantial amount of this allocation is expected to go to the garments and textiles sector. This is not surprising, as the apparel industry needs a wide variety of skills, ranging from sewing to designing. “Given our country’s rich history in garments and textiles, the apparel industry is one which can offer livelihood opportunities for large number of our compatriots,” notes J.P. Rai, Executive Director, National Council on Skill Development. And he recognises the key role ATDC is playing. “ATDC is clearly at the vanguard of imparting skills to the new generation today, equipping them to meet the requirements of the apparel industry in the modern world,” says Mr. Rai. “Our endeavour will be to work with

The textiles sector has been given a target of 267 million skilled workers. it’s an ambitious target. That said, the pilot phase has been successfully implemented and i am hopeful of rapid scale-up in 12th five year plan. — Mr. Anand Sharma, Union Commerce & Industry Minister

>> 125 Today, the need is not only to retain skills but also create a new workforce suitable to the emerging technology environment both in textiles and apparel sectors. Rita Menon, CMD, India Trade Promotion Organisation and former Secretary, Textiles Ministry

sMarT cenTres across The counTry soon

Q: How important for the government is the Indian textiles industry as a contributor to the national economy in general and the exports sector in particular? A: Indian textiles industry contributes 4 percent of the GDP, 14 percent of manufacturing sector output, and $34 billion of exports. It also generates employment to 10 million workers directly and indirectly. Hence the textiles industry is a major source of employment, export revenue generation and industrial output. Q: In your opinion, is the Indian textiles and garments sector competitive globally? What initiative has the government taken in this regard? A: The Indian textiles industry has always been globally competitive. India is the world’s second-largest exporter of cotton and cotton yarn. The apparel and garments sector is doing well. The government has supported the industry by policy measures for adequate raw material supplies and export promotion schemes.

>> 34,000 people aTdc gears up To Train in 2012-13

Q: Skill development is a key component of your initiative in the textiles sector. The government has also launched the National Skill Development Corporation. What is the focus and what are the targets fixed for the textiles sector? A: The Prime Minister has outlined his vision for skill development in the decadal perspective at 100 million. The textiles sector has been given a target of 267 million skilled workers. It’s an ambitious target. That said, the pilot phase has been successfully implemented and I am hopeful of rapid scale-up in 12th Five Year Plan. Q: Where do you see the Indian textiles sector in the next five years? And what is your vision for this sector? A: India will retain its inherent strengths in cotton and cotton yarn. Successful implementation of Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme, or TUFS, has enabled rapid industry modernisation. The Technology Mission on cotton has been revived to ensure improved processing of seed cotton. In knitwear, rapid progress has been made in woven wear silk handlooms and handicrafts. The successful implementation of SITP (Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks) has enabled the creation of world-class infrastructure for greenfield investments. Q: What are the challenges facing the Indian textiles sector — as from Bangladesh — and how can the industry address this? A: Greater competitive trade with Bangladesh will bring improvements in the Indian industry in coming years. The Indian growth story remains strong and the textiles industry is an integral part of this success story.

>> 40,000 people sMarT cenTres and coMMuniTy colleges have Trained so far

in focus

The textiles industry is expected to register exports of $38 billion in 2012-13 as against $34 billion in 2011-12. The growth came from entering new markets. Smt. Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India

Textiles & Apparel Industry: In Fine Print l The textiles and apparel industry is the secondlargest provider of employment in India after agriculture. It provides direct employment to over 45 million people and another 55 million are engaged in allied activities. l It contributes almost 12 percent to the country’s total exports earnings and nearly 4 percent to the gross domestic product (GDP). Nearly 14 percent of manufacturing sector output comes from the textiles industry.

l India has emerged an important player in the global textile and apparel market on the back of strong production base of wide range of fibres like cotton, jute, silk, wool and synthetics. Indian textile mills have access to the cheapest cotton in the world. The fundamental strength of this industry flows from its strong production base of wide range of fibres/yarns from natural fibres like cotton, jute, silk and wool to synthetic/man-made fibres like polyester, viscose, nylon and acrylic.

ATDC and other similar agencies to ensure that the opportunities offered by the apparel industry are fully tapped for skill development and employment, which in turn will provide a further boost to the apparel industry in India.” Rita Menon, former Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, can only agree. Says Ms. Menon, under whose watch ATDC was anointed the nodal agency for skilling in the apparel sector: “It is the endeavour of the government through the ISDS to reach out to the rural and underprivileged people and connect them to the employment in the textile and apparel sector.” It’s a theme that finds resonance with others driving India’s skilling mission. Says R.C.M. Reddy, Chairman, FICCI Skills Development Forum: “The apparel industry is ideally suited to absorb millions of rural youth, particularly school dropouts and disadvantaged groups thereby enabling inclusive growth.” He adds that ATDC, with its proven track record, is undisputedly the leader in apparel industry skill development and “FICCI would actively work with ATDC to further this initiative”. Clearly, as the government targets to skill over 500 million people across sectors by 2022, ATDC is well placed today to lead the charge in the textiles and apparel sector and help it achieve that target.

We need better trainers, beginning from the shop-ﬂoor levels, so that we can compete in the global world and sMarT courses are well designed for that. Mr. H.K.L. Magu, Vice Chairman (NR), AEPC

investment worth `2,000 crore has been pumped in the textiles and apparel sector in the last ﬁve years; that is going to generate employment for 9 crore people in the coming years. Mr. V. Srinivas, Joint Secretary (Exports), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India

l India is the largest producer of jute, the second-largest

producer of cotton, silk and cellulosic fibre, the thirdlargest producer of raw cotton and the fourth-largest producer of synthetic fibre. l For cotton knit T-shirts, India’s material cost per garment (at $0.87) is 9 percent lower than that of China, as much as 10 percent lower than eastern neighbour Bangladesh and Cambodia, and about 4 percent higher than Pakistan. l However, the Indian garment industry is passing through

a challenging period due to a slowdown in demand in traditional markets like the United States and Europe, rise in input costs and increased competition from countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and China. l Data compiled by the Confederation of Indian Textiles Industry shows that out of 287 textiles firms listed at the Bombay Stock Exchange, 122 reported net losses in the first quarter of 2011-12, while 166 firms showed poorer results compared to the previous year.