Chirang skill-development centre trains rural youth in tailoring, food processing

A newly established skill-development centre in Chirang district is training rural youth in tailoring and food processing. The first batch has thirty-five trainees enrolled, most of them from nearby villages.

The centre's coordinator said the goal is not just to teach a skill but to point trainees toward self-employment. "At the end of the course, we give them a certificate and connect them with a local bank for a small loan," the coordinator said.

The three-month curriculum covers everything from operating a sewing machine to garment design, and from making pickles and preserves to packaging them for sale. One trainee said she had expected to move to a town for work. "Now I have the confidence to start something in my own village," she said.

The district administration is supporting the centre under a local self-employment scheme, and top-performing trainees are eligible for a one-time grant to buy equipment.

Applications for the centre's second batch have already opened, and officials say demand has exceeded expectations. "We plan to run this twice a year going forward," the coordinator said.