Dress-making, embroidery, jewellery and toy-making are some fields where women often find an outlet for their creativity. These crafts are also a source of income for many homemakers. Industrial Training Centres in Odisha train many women in these crafts. Orissa POST visited a Centre in Bhubaneswar and talked to some of the students and teachers there.
Smrutirekha Das, a second-year student of dress-making, said, “I am proficient in embroidery, both manual and machine, appliqué work, teddy-making, bead lacing, glass painting and fabric painting. I am interested in creative dress-making. I can stitch salwar kameez, skirts, tops, lehengas, and palazzo. One day, I want to open my own boutique.”
Tailoring instructor Nininee Tripathy, who was a student of the institute in 1987 and became a faculty member in 1992, said, “Students in my class learn stitching in manual as well as machine mode. The one-year course is meant to make the students proficient in tailoring gents wear, kids wear, and women’s wear, stitching, thread work, appliqué work and preparation of fashionable props like teddy, framed Jagannath etc. Many of our students are well placed. Itishree is in a good company in Bangalore. Mamata and Sumitra are also well placed. Dhaneswar has opened a boutique in Khurda, Harapriya and Sujata own boutiques in Unit 8 and Satyanagar in Bhubaneswar, respectively, while Anita Sahu has a boutique in Bhubana, Dhenkanal district.”
Deepanjali Biswal, an instructor in Information and Communication Technology System Maintenance (ICTSM), is also a former student of the institute, who joined as faculty after completing her course. Deepanjali, who hails from Delang in Puri, said, “The ICTSM syllabus includes IT, electronics, hardware, office automation, LAN, VLAN, DHCP and VPN networking. After this course, a student may join a diploma in computer science or a polytechnic. It is better to take a training course in employable skills for better career prospects.”
Mamata Mahataray, a student of ICTSM trade, is proficient in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint besides computer basics, networking and technical engineering said, “Unlike the civil services examination, where you get a limited number of attempts to prove your mettle, students who pass out of ITI are not bound by such limitations. They can either opt for higher studies, or employment in a renowned company, or try their hand at setting up their own business.”
“A skilled professional has n-number of career prospects,” said Jeetamitra Satapathy, principal of ITI, Bhubaneswar. “We also provide study visits and sports facilities besides scholarship schemes like Prerana Post matric scholarship up to Rs 15,000 per month.”
SOYONG, OP