Chennai: Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled the SCALE (Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees) app, during a visit to the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) recently. This app offers a one-stop service for the skilling, learning, assessment, and employment needs of the leather industry.
Speaking at the event, the Union Minister stated that with over 44 lakh people already employed, the leather sector plays a significant role in creating widespread employment in the nation. He praised CSIR-CLRI for its crucial contribution to the growth of this industry and for striking the ideal balance between academics and skill development. “Glad to launch the SCALE (Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees) app which provides a one-stop solution for the skilling, learning, assessment, and employment needs of the leather industry, during my visit to @clriindia, Chennai,” he said in his tweet.
The app will help to transform the way skill development programmes are created and delivered to trainees in the leather sector, the Leather Skill Sector Council has developed the android app SCALE. People interested in leather crafts of all ages can access online live streaming classes from the cutting-edge studio at Leather SSC’s office.
A total of 2.39 million new jobs are predicted to be produced in the Leather Sector between 2017 and 2022. This includes 0.88 million full-time workers in the leather industry, 0.77 million employees of small businesses, and 0.74 million self-employed or daily wage workers like cobblers. The Indian leather sector has one of the youngest and most productive workforces, with 55% of the workforce under the age of 35.
The Union Minister also discussed the industry changes brought on by the development of digital technology and environmentally friendly practices and stated that these changes necessitate a renewed focus on skilling, re-skilling, and up-skilling as well as driving capacity building. He advised that a national level capacity building programme be launched at CSIR-CLRI to enhance the capacities of professionals working in this industry. He added that the establishment of Common Facilities and Skilling Centers across India, including Chennai, will be a joint effort between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), CLRI, and Leather Sector Skill Council.
India being the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of shoes, around 13% of the world’s leather hides and skins are produced in India, where the leather sector also manages a sizable annual production of about 3 billion square feet of leather.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan further urged the young professionals in this industry to use technology, creativity, and entrepreneurship to create jobs. He continued by saying that they must help artisans connect with opportunities in the digital world, such as e-commerce.
