The Key Role of Skilled Women Entrepreneurs

Pretty Rao

MSME Skills, Workforce and Talents: Women entrepreneurs in India are traditionally concentrated in the low-skilled informal sector. This is primarily due to the lack of access to training programs customized to their specific requirements. To promote entrepreneurship and skills development of MSMEs, the Government of India increased spending by almost Rs. MSME Annual Report 2021-22).

Numerous women-focused entrepreneurship development programs have been implemented by both the central and state governments. NIESBUD (MSDE) has developed an entrepreneurial development program for rural women with the aim of imbibing the entrepreneurial spirit, attitudes and motivations for starting an individual or group based enterprise. In 2006, the Ministry of MSME launched its flagship program, Trade-Related Entrepreneurship Assistance and Development (TREAD). This is also a scheme for women-led businesses. The platform focuses on providing credit opportunities, targeted business her training, and advisory support to help women entrepreneurs better understand legal and ecosystem practices. There are also state-level initiatives to promote the upskilling of women entrepreneurs.

In Delhi, the Saheli Samanvay Kendra (SSK) scheme, launched in 2020, develops the Anganwadi Center (AWC) for fostering individual start-ups, creating livelihood opportunities for women, and promoting self-help groups (SHGs). I am aiming for The Kudumbashri Mission, an initiative under the State Poverty Eradication Mission in Kerala, is working with SHG women to help start up small businesses. Members who express an interest in starting a business receive the entrepreneurship training required by the mission.

However, the penetration and adoption of such initiatives remains low. The Technical Intern Training Organization offers only 21 courses for women that focus on stereotypical skills such as fashion design and hairdressing, while the ITI for men offers over 153 courses and these courses The enrollment rate for women in the course is only 20%.

Also read: Budget 2023 should deliver much-needed policy and incentive-driven expansion of MSME credits

The pandemic has also demonstrated the need for women entrepreneurs to pivot to meet changing demands and leverage technology and digital platforms to improve access to new markets. It is an important factor that enables women to start a business. But women lack access to technology. Infrastructure support must therefore be scaled up to enable women entrepreneurs to learn and use digital technologies for their businesses, and to facilitate targeted upskilling of women-led businesses. .

Community-based organizations and the private sector have also designed programs to promote non-traditional skills in women-led businesses. According to a Google & Bain report (2020), organizations such as the Mann Deshi Foundation and the Wadhwani Foundation have developed hard and soft her skills training for rural female entrepreneurs benefiting approximately 150,000 micro-enterprises.

While there are many such programs available, there is a need to understand the specific requirements of women entrepreneurs at various stages of development and design programs to accommodate such needs. An enterprise readiness survey conducted in Delhi by IWWAGE in collaboration with the Delhi Government of NCT, Delhi Skills and Entrepreneurship University (DSEU), found that over 60% of businesses had a clear desire for training on topics such as business management and planning. It was shown that there is of female respondents.

Traditional skills such as sewing and sewing, pickle and papad making, handicraft making, skill training programs focused on soft skills using mobile phones, communication and expression of thoughts were emphasized by respondents in the survey. It was also shown that it is believed that The majority of respondents opted for two weekly training classes (up to 3 hours per session) delivered in a hybrid model of face-to-face sessions at local Anganwadi centers and virtual tutorials accessed using their mobile devices. I also showed that I can participate in .

A study conducted by LEAD University in partnership with a network of funders, the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) and JPM, found that a customized training program and consistent handheld support for troubleshooting can improve business longevity. shown to be necessary to improve outcomes.・Time training. Such training should be easily accessible and delivered just-in-time through multiple channels, taking into account the time constraints and care responsibilities of women entrepreneurs. A training program should be continuous and dynamic.

Also Read: Budget 2023: Effective Implementation of Schemes Critical to SME Growth

The study also indicated that training programs for women entrepreneurs should focus on:

• Business management and planning of dynamic aspects such as cash flow and inventory.
• Customer retention-focused marketing based on customer segments, not just branding.
• Creating resilience mechanisms (insurance, savings, government schemes, diversification, etc.).
• Measuring a company’s social impact.
• Hands-on technical and leadership training.

Occupational, business and soft skills training programs have been found to have a positive effect on women’s earnings as well as a measurable effect on women’s non-cognitive skills such as self-efficacy, aspiration and agency. These help improve attitudes and confidence in social and economic status. Programs and policies aimed at fostering such behavioral changes need to be advanced.

Preethi Rao is Associate Director of the Research Center LEAD at Clare University. The views expressed are those of the author.

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