Elaborating on the issues faced by the industry, Darlie Koshy, Director General and CEO of Apparel Training and Design Center (ATDC) says, “We have been focusing on only certain aspects of the skill sector. We need a 360 degree understanding of skills such as how the hand-eye coordination takes place, how your movements can be controlled. India should hold more regional and local competitions to prepare herself for the global competition.”
Emphasis on training to face competition
Koshy has just come back from the 43rd ‘World Skill Meet’ in Sao Paolo. It was started in 1949 by a group of European countries like Spain, Germany, Finland, and UK. 50 skills sets under five different sectors are tested during the competition. Fashion and creative industry is one among them. This is where 25 Indian participants competed across 25 segments such as beauty, jewellery, welding and IT solutions.
“In four days, several batches of students were brought in from countries like Brazil. They were given required tools in a systematic manner. By the end of the fourth day almost a lakh of students visited the exhibition. This shows that these countries are training their entire young workforce to understand the nuances of different skills. They are equipping their students. But our students are weak in understanding the skill and its complexities. We need to prepare young children just as these countries are doing to understand the value of skill. The world is going to compete on skill and technology and move ahead. Branding is very tough for us but we can at least master skills and technology,” avers Koshy.
This was the third time Indian participants were part of the competition, while Korea became a member in 1978. “Till 1985, Korea was not considered as a country that produced quality products,” states Koshy, adding, “In the mid-1980’s they started working on designs and a high level of skills. Since 1978, Korea has won 18 international gold medals in different fields. Today, 90 per cent of the population is covered by vocational training.”
In 2017, Abu Dhabi is going to host the ‘World Skills Meet’ and in 2021 it’s going to be Canada. “India should bring the meet here. India will become 75 years old in 2024. We have two stages of development. One is 2015 to 2025. Another is 2025 to 2035. In this decade people who are in high schools and colleges are maturing. We should be able to hold the ‘World Skills Meet’ in 2023 with the current efforts put in by the government. The stage and environment will be set for thousands of students to be the part of this platform. But we need to showcase skills the way the young generation wants to understand them. We need to break taboos,” he exclaims.
Advance training programmes for the youth
Koshy says, young generation doesn’t want to enter the textiles business because of the messy manner it has been handled. “There are a lot of variables in the textile business that the younger generation doesn’t have the patience to manage. One can make good money. There are enough skills to be learnt. There is the thrill of working with a new design. In other trades you are just packing something every day. It’s monotonous. Fashion is never monotonous,” he explains.
Koshy has been a part of the fashion industry for many years. “I learn new things every day. Change is the key motivator to keep you alive. Today’s tech-savvy generation needs to be introduced to new tools or gadgets to make textile or fashion industry exciting,” he asserts.
Apparel Training and Design Center (ATDC) has 200 centres across India and runs one campus of the Institute of Apparel Management (IAM).
www.atdcindia.co.in
