Bhubaneswar: Skill development programmes should not be confined to a few categories of students, rather they should be extended to higher education courses, Skill Development Minister Sampad Chandra Swain said Thursday. At a review meeting, the minister highlighted the extension of programme offerings to the industrial sector and Mission Shakti. “Due to lack of skill development, our youths are being deprived of employment outside the state. That is why it is necessary to link the skill development training programme to higher education,” said Swain.
Skill Development Principal Secretary Usha Padhee briefed the minister about ongoing projects of the department. She proposed to launch ‘Kaushal Rath’ initiative to create awareness among youths on various skill development programmes. The initiative shall cover all districts and focus on schools, childcare institutions, vulnerable tribal groups, government ITIs and polytechnics, she said. Two OSRTC buses, equipped with an audio-visual system and experimental labs will be engaged for the purpose, Padhee added. The first ‘Kaushal Bhawan’ with a capacity of providing training to around 300 youths annually, is also being developed at World Skill Center (WSC) here. The center will provide training in culinary science, food and beverages, housekeeping services and hospitality.
Additionally, the Chief Minister’s Skill Development Fellowship Programme, in line with Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship Programme, has been initiated to support the employment officers at district levels. A dedicated National Institutional Ranking Framework cell will also be established at Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Rourkela, to monitor and guide registered technical institutions and colleges.