"Timbor Skillvarsity' to cater to India's Rs. 70,000 crore furniture industry

India's only fully integrated furniture making company, Timbor Home Ltd, is now going to offer unique skill development courses to provide employment to today's young generation through its new venture, Timbor Skillvarsity. The market size of the Indian furniture industry at Rs. 70,000 crore plus is huge and it employs around 3 lakh people. The organized sector accounts for only 15% of the total market and it is growing at 30% per annum. So, the demand for trained manpower for the furniture sector is enormous.

Timbor Home's skills development initiative has received support from the Government of Gujarat through the Industries Commissionerate and The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development.

Commenting on this new initiative, Mr. Anant Maloo, Chairman & MD of Timbor Home Ltd. said, "Skill development is of a high priority today, with the PMO and CMO in Gujarat directly overseeing the skill development mission. Under the tag line "Be Skilled, Be Employed', the Timbor Skillvarsity is going to generate employment opportunities for large number of under-graduates and graduates by providing them skills which the huge furniture market requires. With more and more organised players coming into this sector and expected entry of foreign players in the future, the demand for these skills will grow even faster. We are the first company in India to offer such specialised courses which are of relevance to the furniture and retail sector. "

Timbor Skillvarsity is offering four types of courses currently: Kitchengineer, ProFit, Basic Woodwork and Wooden Furniture Making. Students from any educational background, students of traditional learning background like carpentry or other skills without formal education, learners who wish to return to their academic life, students engaged in any other services, learners who just wish to upgrade their skills and improve their employability and even housewives can register for these courses.

The flagship course, called "Kitchengineer', gives comprehensive training so as to make every student a design professional who works with homeowners, architects, interior designers or builders to plan layout and functionality of modular kitchens. Kitchengineers are trained in manual drawing and computer graphics and can oversee installation of kitchens. They learn about options in cabinetry, flooring, appliances, countertops, and colour palettes that fit the client's home, lifestyle, and budget. Importantly, the Kitchengineer provides initial and final cost estimates for budget planning of the kitchen space.

The "ProFit' course is a professional and industry specific course. Students are trained to be professional fitters of modular kitchens and modular components. They not only work with tools but are also taught to use relevant technology and software so as to create and even check designs submitted for installation.

The "Basic Woodwork' course is for first time entrants into the wood industry. They might have had no exposure at all to any form of wood, wood products, manufacture of wood products/carpentry. Being the first line of workers in the furniture industry they are taught the basics of carpentry and tools. Added to this they are introduced to technology to prepare their designs. Those who complete this course become immediately employable at a furniture/wood factory. The "Wooden Furniture Making' is an advanced course for those who already know the basics of woodwork and want to develop further skills so as to make furniture products and earn more.