Empowering the Handicraft Artisans through ODL Mode

Abstract

Indian Handicrafts are an integral part of country's rich cultural heritage and play a significant role in the national economy. In India, approximately 69 lakh people are engaged in Handicraft and allied activities. Handicraft is an unorganized cottage industry which faces several problems in the country such as low literacy and education levels, lack of modern/technological skills, and lack of sufficient finance. National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) along with the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, took initiative to train and upgrade the skills of the Handicraft Artisans and their children belonging to scheduled caste category, engaged in the traditional craft of Indian embroidery. The project initiated with the enrolment of 100 learners in the city of Varanasi, (Uttar Pradesh, India) with intensive training workshops in core as well as in the areas of entrepreneurship and communication skills. // A semi-structured questionnaire was developed to take feedback from the learners to measure the effectiveness of the training program. The questionnaire was administered individually to 78 trainee participants, and their feedback was assessed. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to present the findings of the study conducted to understand the socio-economic profile of the enrolled learners, evaluate the effectiveness of the training program and, how it has benefitted the learners with special mention of the success stories of few participants after completion of the training. This study will pave the way for planning further needs based training and programs for the upliftment of Handicraft artisans. // Paper ID 184