12 Apr 2013
Cobblers to polish work skills through varsity course
Mumbai, April 12 (IANS) The humble roadside cobbler has now been given an opportunity to acquire higher education, courtesy a state government initiative with the Y.B. Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU), a top official said here Friday.
The YCMOU has developed a week-long training programme for cobblers to provide them with advanced work skills and reward them with a certificate.
"This certificate will be valid to obtain loans from nationalised banks and help cobblers buy better equipment or expand their trade and become entrepreneurs," said YCMOU spokesperson S. Belsare.
The initiative, with a nominal course fee, has been sponsored by the Leather Industry Development of Maharashtra (LIDCOM) and the course was designed by YCMOU vice-chancellor R. Krishnakumar in consultation with several cobblers' trade organisations and experts like Sanjivni Mahale of the Department of Education of YCMOU and former state minister Babanrao Gholap, he said.
Presently, the course is being introduced in five districts: Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Nashik and Nandurbar, and will later cover the entire state, Mahale said.
Belsare explained that there are around 1.25 million cobblers in the state, including 55 percent in the rural areas, earning an average of Rs.100-150 daily, which barely suffices to maintain their families.
"The need of the services of the cobblers is eternal and will remain till mankind exists on this planet. However, their important skills and knowledge are passed on from generation to generation only as a family tradition. The conventional system of education does not recognise these otherwise high quality skills," Belsare explained.
Accordingly, the YCMOU developed the one-week skill training programme, taking into consideration the needs of the cobblers. Depending on the response, a more elaborate programme will be implemented later.
You May Also Like
loading...
Popular Posts
-
( PIB ) The Competition Commission of India has found certain Explosive Suppliers who supply explosives to Coal India Limited in violation o...
-
Based on the recommendations of Foreign In vest ment Promotion Board (FIPB) in its meeting held on March 30, 2012, Government ...
-
The project was initiated as part of an 11th Plan scheme in March 2010 as an effort to restructure and consolidate the erstwhile operati...
-
Grant of Ration Money Allowance to the Non-Gazetted personnel of Andaman & Nicobar Police, including personnel of India Reserve Battalio...
-
Sr. No. District => Population Growth Rate Sex Ratio Literacy Density/km 1 Thane => 11,054,131 35.94 880 86.18 1157 2 Pune => ...
-
Shri Ajit Singh, the Minister of Civil Aviation informed Rajya Sabha today in a written reply that M/s KPMG was engaged to conduct pre-feasi...
-
Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Emraan Hashmi, who is playing the male lead in forthcoming supernatural thriller "Ek Thi Daayan", says a d...
-
The Union Minister of Steel, Shri Beni Prasad Verma, leading a delegation to Australia for strengthening ties between the two countries i...
-
Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Jairam Ramesh said that creating physical infrastructure in rapidly urbanizing clusters will be...
-
Dehradun, April 20: Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna felicitated Harish Rana, winner of National Bravery Award in 2003. Chief Minister congratu...