WOMEN’S VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME

Overview

Women constitute about 48% of the total population of the country.  But, in employment market, out of the 332 million employed population, women are only about 88 million.  Even of this, only 4.5 million women are in organized sector while remaining 83.5 million are in un-organized sector.  

Realizing that the process of social development has to take into account the needs, interests and viewpoints of both men and women alike; and looking at the situation of women, the gender inequalities and inequities that exist, it was felt that the promotion of women has to be given greater priority, aiming to ensure women’s equal participation in the political, social and economic processes affecting their lives.

The WOMEN’S VOCATIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME at Ministry of Labour, Directorate General of Employment & Training was designed and launched by the Women’s Cell in 1977 with the aim of training women in employable skills, thereby enhancing their participation in the Nation’s economy.     

The program attempts to promote the women employment in industry (mainly organized sector) as semi-skilled/skilled & highly skilled workers by increasing their participation in skill training facilities under Craftsmen Training Scheme and Advanced Skill Training Scheme and also the Apprenticeship training scheme. To achieve this objective, women exclusive Institutes have been set up both under Centrally sponsored scheme & Central sector Schemes.

The primary activity of these Institutes is Training. A range of skill training areas having high employment potential have been identified for different target groups of women, each leading to a broad common objective:

Providing Skilled (Wo)Manpower to the Industry/Encouraging Self-Employment/Providing Trained Instructors to the Institutes Engaged in Vocational Training.