Quote Originally Posted by Rigged
However, the biggest problem I see in the idea is that you would have to spend a lot of time and effort training people to do something that would not make them employable anywhere but in your factory, and I don't think any agency offering grants would go for that. People trying to recover their lives need skills that give them broad opportunities.
I agree with almost every said on this thread except the above. Learning any job skills can be translated to other work. Showing up on time, attention to detail, and caring for the results are traits that are necessary for most jobs.

Teaching those fundamental traits can go a long way towards making a person employable through a lifetime.
I agree with what you say -- the traits you enumerate are essential to job success in any field. What I meant is that 'kiltmaking' doesn't have the cachet, in an entry-level job application, of a lot of other job experiences. I was a career counselor, once upon a time. At the managerial and executive level, you get the opportunity to present more abstract skills like 'attention to detail' in a résumé or CV, but if one is applying for a lower-level job, the employer just asks about job experience -- what position did you hold, how long did you hold it, etc. Someone looking for a receptionist or data entry clerk or construction labourer or shop assistant will not relate to 'kiltmaking' very well, and a job-seeker certainly won't find 'kiltmaker needed' in the Classifieds. It takes a very articulate and confident person to parlay that kind of experience into something that will help him get a job in the wider world of employment opportunities.