Skill development training to 8 lakh youths in Odisha

In a bid to provide quality skill development training to 8 lakh youths in the state within three years, Odisha Chief Secretary A P Padhi today directed departments to come up with updated action plans within 10 days.

He also asked the departments to indicate the required budget and quality ensuring arrangements in their action plans.

At a high-level meeting on skill development, which was presided over by Padhi himself, it was decided that high quality training providers would be given preferance to utilize the infrastructural support of the Skill Development Centers and other govenrment buildings available at sub-division and district levels.

The department of Skill Development and Technical Education was also told to consolidate the existing infrastructure and focus on quality development in training and skilling.

The chief secretary also directed to focus on the high-end skill trainings in manufacturing, construction production and service sectors so as to achieve the goals of Skilled in Odisha campaign, an official release said adding that these sectors have greater demand in the job market and also fetch good reputation for the youths.

The meeting also resolved that the Skill Development Programme (SDP) in Odisha should be an appropriate synchrony of general education, skill training, employability and entrepreneurship.

Padhi also directed the departments to adopt common norms for all skill development courses for having uniformity with regard to curriculum, duration of training, quality and selection of Project Implementing Agencies.

Emphasizing on quality of the training and learning outcomes, he directed to upgrade in-house capacity and incentivize credible and qualitative training partners who are actually proving training to the youths.

The chief secretary also advised having appropriate logistic and infrastructural arrangement along with qualitative workshops and hands-on-practice facilities in training centers. The departments were asked to work out medium & long term courses in line with National Skill Quality Framework (NSQF), the release said.