Common facility centre for knitting to train labourers, experiment in new methods

Tirupur: A common facility centre (CFC) for knitting, that will serve as a platform to train unskilled labourers and also for experimenting on value-added knitting methods, will come up here soon.
As many as 46 knitting units have formed a cluster to bring the facility using the fund given by the Central and state governments.

“Many workers come to Tirupur without having knowledge about machines but learn about them later on the job. In case of knitting, there is no facility to train unskilled labourers,” said N Vivekananthan, president of the South India Imported Machine Knitters Association, which will implement and operate the project.

“The CFC will train the unskilled workers on six skills including knitting machine operation, foreman, service engineer and technician. Anyone can utilise the facility and the trainees will be provided with certificate in association with a government agency. Subsequently, they can approach knitting units for jobs,” he said. “There will be a laboratory for testing various qualities of yarn as well as fabric, so that solutions for fine knitting can be achieved.”

Another main objective of the project is to bring advanced knitting machines rarely available in the dollar city, Vivekananthan said. “Three such machines, including a denim knitting machine, mattress knitting machine and a glove knitting machine will be brought. Industrialists can experiment and bring out value-added products.”

Union minister for micro, small, and medium enterprises provided the technical approval for the project after the state government gave green signal. The Rs 15.35crore-project will be monetarily contributed by 54% from the Central government while the state government and cluster members will contribute 21% and 25% respectively.

Construction of a building for the project will start soon, Vivekananthan added.