Tailoring shops catering to making western outfits and fieldwork uniforms among others have increased in Tsirang, Sarpang and Dagana in recent months. This is following a three-week training in advanced tailoring course for western garments in Tsirang two months ago attended by participants from all three districts.
Tailoring shops in Tsirang have now started sewing pants and shirts using the skills learnt from the training.
Organised by the regional labour office in Gelegphu, trainers from Lekdrup Skills Development Institute in Thimphu facilitated the course. Participants learnt pattern drawing, cutting and interlocking, which are prerequisite for stitching different pants and shirts. The participants are acquiring skills in stitching the western garments for the first time.
“Earlier, I only know how to stitch traditional gho, kira, wonju and tego. But during the training, we were taught on sewing western garments. Five trainees from Dagapela and Gelegphu also attended the training and they are equally skilled in western dressmaking,” said Dawa, a tailor in Tsirang.
Tsirang Dzongda Pema, while meeting with the participants during the course said, the training is crucial amid the coronavirus. He said, Bhutanese taking up such task during the pandemic would help to improve the country’s economy as the country’s Gross Domestic Product is impacted by the pandemic.
“During such a difficult time with no inflow of foreign tourists, our internal income has gone down. So in such situation, we should work to keep our currency within the country. There is an outflow of our currency when we depend on foreign labourers to stitch our clothes. Therefore, it is important to take a role in minimising the outflow of our currency during a difficult situation,” he said.
As trained, now they can sew formal pants and shirts, uniforms for health workers, forestry officials, army, and TTI trainees. These days, DeSuups and the police personnel have been the main customers as they have been on duty to combat the prolonged coronavirus.
“I haven’t stitched pants and shirts before. But after this training, I have been stitching and resizing DeSuup’s uniform. The training provided us in exploring new skill,” said Yeshi Chophel, a tailor in Tsirang.
“Many DeSuups are coming to my shop, and few from the hospital and some from the police these days. So far I have been receiving good feedback and even I am here to make necessary changes if customers are not satisfied with my works,” added Dawa, a Tailoring Shop owner in Tsirang.
With the additional skills, now some of them are planning to expand their business with the recruitment of additional employees.
Pema Tshewang
