Impact Assessment of Skill Development Programme For Rural Women in District Ludhiana

The present study was designed to assess the impact of skill development trainings rendered with the help of local knitwear industry with a twin objective of solving the skilled labour deficit by providing training to local labour pool and for empowering rural women. The respondents for the study were selected by purposive sampling technique and consisted of rural women who showed interest in taking such training at the time of baseline survey. A total sample size of 90 respondents was selected through a purposive sampling technique at three locations. The training was provided through a modular training program on industrial machines as per the requirement of the industry. The data for benefits received by the rural women and the impact assessment was gathered through an interview schedule method and analyzed thoroughly. The study revealed that the trainings provided by industry were considered useful by 76 per cent of rural women and it empowered them in certain areas as decision making, selfreliance and confidence building. Though the training contributed a lot in empowering women still the impact on income generation was at satisfactory level. Opportunity of employment and need based training was a major factor behind the success of skill development initiative.