Page:SELECTED ESSAYS of Dr. S. S. KALBAG.pdf/239

 ﻿________________

now more valuable. Their wages go up. They have perforce to use their time for more sophisticated products. Therefore, they change over gradually to more sophisticated products and stop making the simpler products. This gives rise to a technology ladder. Each technology on this ladder needs more skills than the one below. So anyone who "steps on" to this ladder, slowly climbs up the steps and vacates the one below. Thus, we need to train people enough for them to be able to manage a small "industry". They will then climb up on their own. The skills required for management of technology are basically, simple accounts, decision making by rational thinking, planning, purchase of material, dealing with clients and looking for new opportunities. It is the skill in these that propells an entrepreneur upwards. This also makes it obvious that one cannot crash land directly into a high-risk venture, if previous experience of management of technology is lacking. Therefore, in dealing with the rural/ weaker sections, it would be an advantage if management skills are given by on-the-job training in work stations, operating on commercial or semi-commercial basis. These can be simple ventures such as agriculture related small industry such as poultry, dairy etc. or small workshops, service groups etc. These would be better launching pads for new entrepreneurs than just training courses. The technology ladder concept helps to identify where to start new enterprises, where the earlier ones are prospering; this is why cities and industrial centers grow exponentially. 8. Which Industry do we need most? Industry is a planned activity concerning production of "wealth" Rural Development Through Education System 226