Rs.2 crore allotted for IGNOU's Madurai centre

The Union Ministry of Textiles has sanctioned Rs.2 crore to the Madurai Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to launch skill development programmes, exclusively for the textile sector.

The fund, sanctioned on March 31, will be utilised for establishing skill development centres at the integrated textile parks at Vadipattiin near Madurai, Karur and Tirupur.

“Our university has entered into an understanding with the Ministry of Textiles to offer textile-related programmes and prepare a skilled workforce required for the textile sector.

The Rs.2 crore sanctioned now is a component of that plan,” M. Shanmugham, Regional Director, said here on Tuesday.

He said that setting up of training centres was an inbuilt activity of the integrated textile parks established by the Textiles Ministry and IGNOU was given the task of introducing skill development programmes in two modes — face-to-face and distance education mode.

Dr. Shanmugham said that the MBA (Textile Management) course, which was designed by the university, was a step in that direction. Along with textile- focused initiatives, there would be attention for apparel and fashion designing segments also.

“We have lined up several activities in collaboration with the Coimbatore-based Sardar Vallabhai Patel Institute of Textile Management, an institution under the Union Ministry of Textiles. Ours is an industry-institute collaboration to create a skilled workforce,” the IGNOU Regional Director said.

The training project will be implemented over a period of five years by conducting short-term programmes for the textiles workforce as well as for raw hands.

A consultative committee would soon be formed with experts from the industry and academia to guide training activity.

Also, the skill development centres in the integrated textile parks would be linked with the community colleges started by IGNOU at various places. “We are requesting the textile parks in Madurai, Karur and Tirupur to allot a place in their campus for establishing the skill development centres,” he said.

After completing all the formalities, the university is planning to start the training programmes from July.

Sourced from Hindu