Women trainees break the technology ice

The cohort included students hailing from Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

The Hettich Poddar WoodWorking Institute (HPWWI) in Faridabad recently held the Convocation and Awards Ceremony for its first-ever batch of women trainees in woodworking, marking a key moment in women’s participation within the furniture and fittings sector.

The ceremony recognised 108 graduating students, including 50 women trainees, who completed HPWWI’s three-month short-term training programme. For many of the women graduates, the programme represented their first formal entry into a highly technical and traditionally male-dominated trade. Thus, the women graduates were given the ‘Ice-Breaker Award’ for the courage shown by them.

The initiative reflects HPWWI’s belief that access to technical skills should not be limited by gender, and that expanding women’s participation is essential to building a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready workforce.

By creating an industry-aligned environment, HPWWI aims to open sustainable career pathways for women while bridging the skill gaps within the woodworking ecosystem. 

The ceremony was graced by Amit Prasad, Director of HPWWI and Chief Human Resources Officer with Hettich India. He emphasized the significance of structured, industry-aligned pathways for skilling.

“At HPWWI, our objective is not just skill creation, but inclusive skill creation. By enabling women to enter technical trades through structured training and real industry exposure, we are working towards a more balanced and future-ready workforce; one where opportunity is driven by capability, not convention,” he said.

Graduates received certifications recognised by the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Furniture and Fitting Skill Council (FFSC). Along with HPWWI certification the awards included the Medal of Merit.

The programme’s curriculum combines skill enhancement with the latest woodworking trends, techniques and technologies, delivered by highly experienced trainers. Trainees receive extensive hands-on exposure, including training on modern CNC machines and pneumatic tools.

Reflecting the HPWWI’s strong industry connect, 20 graduates received on-the-spot offer letters from placement partners such as StudioKon Ventures, Decora Kitchen Interiors, Delbergia, Wudley, Mobel Grace, among others.

The cohort included students hailing from Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, with 30 trainees from under-privileged backgrounds, underlining HPWWI’s CSR-led focus on widening access to skill development and employment.

Operating across three centres in India located in Mumbai, Faridabad and Kolkata, HPWWI continues to strengthen the woodworking and furniture and fittings ecosystem through structured programmes focused on skilling, upskilling, and reskilling, in collaboration with NSDC, FFSC, ITIs and industry partners, in support of the Skill India Mission.

Also present with their active participation and words of gratitude on the occasion, were industry partners such as Canadian Wood, Biesse, Rehau, Felder, Imos, WoodTech, SS Coatings, and Groz Tools. 

The event proved to be a success with the effort of HPWWI Deputy Director Deepak Sharma and his core team of trainers Kulwant Jangra, Jyoti Ashutosh and Swapnil Verma.

 

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