What are the fees of attending the six-month CDEM course?

Ans.: The Handloom School does not charge any fee from its students for attending the course. Education is provided completely free of cost. In addition to that, all study and training materials are provided by the School. As such, participating in the program holds no financial obligations on the part of the applicants.

Will the School arrange for my stay during the on-campus segment of the course?

Ans.: The Handloom School offers a fully-residential program, and does not accept day scholars. During the six-months that the students spend on campus, THS arranges for them to stay at the student dormitory located inside the School premises.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner is also provided by the School for free.

I am from a traditional handloom weaving family and I have completed a diploma in civil engineering. Am I eligible for the course?

Ans.: One major requirement of the course is that you must be a practicing weaver. Basic education required for the course is class 10th passed.

I am not a traditional weaver. I have obtained training in weaving 3 years back and since then I am weaving full-time at home. Am I eligible for the course?

Ans.: Yes. One major requirement of the course is that you must be a practicing weaver. Since you have been weaving regularly for the past 3 years, we assume you have acquired a good level of weaving skills.

I cannot speak English but I can read and write in Hindi. Can I apply for the course?

Ans.: Yes. The medium of instruction in The Handloom School is Hindi and English. If you can read, write and understand either Hindi or English, you can apply for the course.

I have a 1-day family function during the course period. May I take leave from the school for 2 days?

Ans.: No. 100% attendance is required for completion of the course. Students who leave the course or remain absent will lose their stipend money and will not be awarded a certificate. Such students cannot apply for future courses at The Handloom School.

I cannot come to Maheshwar. Can I do this course online?

Ans.: No. At present, we only offer “campus” based course. However, our full classroom sessions will be available on our website. You may send us a request mail to download the videos.

Will The Handloom School offer me placement in any handloom textile organization?

Ans.: No. The Handloom School will prepare you to be a business weaver / weaver entrepreneur. However, there is no placement guarantee after the course.

Is the certificate provided by The Handloom School affiliated to any government accrediting body or agency?

Ans.: No. The certificate provided by The Handloom School is not accredited to any government agency. We, however, strongly believe that THS graduates will earn a distinctive recognition in the handloom and fashion sector on the basis of their certificate from The Handloom School.

Will The Handloom School provide me job work or orders after I complete the course?

Ans.: No. The Handloom School does not guarantee providing job work or orders to its graduates. However, as part of the year-long hand-holding phase, THS does try and connect its graduate weavers to potential clients. During the hand-holding phase, THS is present as a mediating agency between the clients and the weavers to ensure smooth transition of its alumni from wage weavers to weaver entrepreneurs.
If during this phase, THS accepts any orders on behalf of its alumni, these orders are then passed on to be woven by the latter. However, the mode is starkly different from that of job-workers because THS considers these budding entrepreneurs to be equal stakeholders in the process to maintain the requisite level of quality and professionalism.
THS will also create an online marketplace wherein clients and THS graduates can interact with each other for business orders.

The syllabus of The Handloom School includes more than 50% time away from the Maheshwar campus. How will I communicate with The Handloom School while I am away from the campus?

Ans.: The Handloom School will provide one smartphone to each student for the coursework duration of 6 months. The Handloom School will also provide and pay for a data connection during this period. During classroom sessions, students will be taught the use of E-mail, Skype, WhatsApp and Facebook for business purposes.

I meet all the eligibility criteria, and am interested in applying for the course. However, I'm the primary bread-winner of my family. How will I sustain my family financially when I'm away for six months attending the course?

Ans.: The Handloom School understands that, given the nature of its program, most of its prospective students end up being the primary earner of their family. As such, to cover for their wage loss in attending the course, THS pays each student a stipend of Rs. 300 per working day. This stipend is paid only for working days, and is not paid for Tuesdays (which are weekly off days) or for any day that the student is absent from class.
The stipend amount has been decided after careful inspection of the average daily weaving wage earnings in multiple weaving clusters of India, and is designed to keep their family afloat when the weavers are attending the residential components of the course.

What should I do with the stipend that I'll get from attending the course?

Ans.: Even though the stipend is designed to financially support the family of our trainee weavers while they are attending the course, students are encouraged to spend their stipend money judiciously. If students save every rupee of their stipend, they can graduate from the course with more than Rs. 40000 in their accounts. This can act as startup fund when they setup their micro-enterprises.
In the past, many alumni have gone on to use their stipend earnings to start or upgrade their business.

Will I be paid the stipend in cash?

Ans.: No. There are NO cash payments done by The Handloom School. All reimbursements are done by direct transfer to students' bank accounts. If a student does not have their own bank account, THS would help them setup the same after they join the course.

If I am absent for a day due to an emergency with prior permission from the School authorities, will I be paid stipend for that day?

Ans.: No. As mentioned above, the stipend is only paid on working days. Even if a student is absent with permission for a day with proper permission, they will NOT be paid stipend for that day.