This Carpenter School Redefining Carpentry Education in India

FDT Bureau

In India, there is often a different view for carpentry and all related work and people associated with this profession do not get the proper respect to which they are rightfully entitled. Carpenters can often be seen struggling with employment and earnings. But now things are changing rapidly with respect to carpentry in India. Bhartiya Skill Development University (BSDU) Jaipur, through its Carpenter School is providing a great opportunity to the youth to make a golden future in the profession of carpentry. Here’s an exclusive coverage by Furniture Design & Technology (FDT).

Programs on offer: The University is currently offering degree-diploma to PhD in Carpentry. Through these educational programs, the traditional carpentry of the country is not only being modernized, but the youth is also looking forward to get benefitted by entrepreneurship and attractive employment opportunities. The qualifications offered at BSDU are in compliance with the NSQF (National Skill Qualification Framework) levels and meet the NOS (National Occupations Standards) under various job roles. With a 60:40 ratio between skills and general education components, the programs are totally focussed on learning outcomes expected by the industries.

The graduate program prepares the students for the high tech and highly automated wood working industry of today. The School is equipped with a host of state of the art machinery that includes felder make CNC router, CNC edge bander, vertical saw machine and many more. The students begin their first semesters with wood science, hand drawing, transfer of drawing, hand skills, use of power tools and then gradually graduate to computer aided drawings, stationary machines, use of software (such as Pytha) and CNC programming. All programs enable the students to learn from the basics—wood material selection, its storage and use, conceptualization of product, planning and operation of processes and manufacturing of the final product.

Innovations already initiated: A PhD student in the University is currently pursuing research on a new type of wooden material, which is being prepared from traditional agricultural products easily available with farmers. The university is constantly conducting research and lab tests on it. If the research is successful, it can emerge as a new alternative of existing related products in the wooden material market. It will be lower in cost and more durable than the existing products. This claim was made by retired Indian Navy Commander (Dr.) Anil Rana, Professor and Principal, Dean Faculty of Manufacturing Skills, BSDU in an interaction with FDT.

BSDU’s fast pace success is not a coincidence. It is a result of deeply thought over and meticulously planned and executed education strategy. Equipped with state of the art infrastructure including top of the line imported machines and an education process executed under the watchful eyes of Swiss experts, BSDU is revolutionizing education through a curriculum set up in participation with industrial and NSDC experts and its implementation through its “One student One machine” policy, Dr. Rana Added. Students from its Carpenter School won one Gold and two Bronze medals in All India Skill Championships in 2018. The Gold medallist then went on to represent India in Global Skill Championship in Australia and then later in World Skills Championship in Kazan Russia held in July 2019. BSDU students are finding a hundred percent placement and internships in the industry. An excellent initiative we must say!