Sept. 1: Bamboo workers can now hone their skills and set their eyes on a wider market following a memorandum of understanding signed between the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre and a German development agency.

The German government-owned agency, GTZ, will help develop a systematic approach for training those who want to acquire bamboo-related skills to earn a living.

The GTZ will provide technical assistance for a four-month competency-oriented course in bamboo processing. No formal qualifications would be required for the course.

The course will start in October and changes will be made to it on the basis of feedback given by the participants so that the products can gain greater exposure and acceptability in the market.

GTZ senior technical adviser Anita Sharma who was in the city on Wednesday said the course would emphasise on hands-on training as it would help a person design quality bamboo products and sell it in the market also.

“We want people who would like to make a career in bamboo to enrol for the course. We will impart all the technical skills required for proficiency in the trade,” she said.

The bamboo technology centre’s director, Kamesh Salam, said not much emphasis was being laid on skill development in the bamboo sector at present, though it was crucial with national and international agencies turning their focus towards it.

The GTZ will assist the centre to plan, execute and monitor qualitative training measures and other follow-up services in collaboration with public and private training providers in the Northeast.

The centre aims to create employment and self-employment among a specific target groups from the unorganised sector with this course.