Government will provide all assistance in skill development: Nirmala Sitharaman

NOIDA: Emphasising on the significance of skilled manpower, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) is providing training to about two lakh people annually.

"FDDI is training about 15,000 people every month. Annually about two lakh people are getting trained here and also getting jobs," Sitharaman said.

She was speaking at the convocation function of the institute.

She assured the ministry would provide all support to FDDI in implanting skills to students and artisans across the country.

Speaking at the occasion, Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion ( DIPP) Amitabh Kant said that skilled manpower was crucial for the country's economic growth.

"We want India to be a major manufacturing hub of the world. Leather footwear sector should play an important role in boosting exports," he said.
Meanwhile, an official statement said that FDDI has trained 2,00,503 unemployed youth and providing employment to 1,61,773 through its 55 Operator Training Centres (OTCs) established across the country.

The OTCs are established under the Placement Linked Skill Development Programme of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

These OTCs have state-of-the art machinery in cutting and closing operations equipped with, training material, handouts etc.

"At these centres, unemployed youth belonging to the economically weaker section of the society are being selected, trained and provided assistance to get employment in the footwear industries at the shop floor level operations," it said.

The FDDI, bridging the skill gap of the footwear, leather, fashion, retail & management sector, has established its footprints worldwide.

The Institute has pan-India presence with eight campuses at Noida, Fursatganj, Chennai, Kolkata, Chhindwara, Rohtak, Jodhpur and Guna.

"Four new campuses of FDDI are coming up next year at Patna, Hyderabad, Gujarat and Punjab," it added.