Guwahati: Assam's commerce, industry and skill development minister Chandra Mohan Patowary handed over skill-competency certificates and job-offer letters to 20 trainees of an IOCL-sponsored programme here on Wednesday.

An industries department statement said 20 students, six girls and 14 boys, from the economically marginalised section of society underwent a five-month training programme on Machine Operator - Plastic Injection Moulding at the Plastic Waste Management Centre of the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology (CIPET) here under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of the Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Guwahati Refinery.

After completion of the course, all the students were successfully placed along with free accommodation at two plastic manufacturing units at Aurangabad and Tarapur in Maharashtra.

Patowary said, "The government has a vision to tackle the unemployment issue but government jobs alone cannot suffice. The only alternative arrangement lies in the areas of skill and industries."

The minister also asked CIPET to conduct similar industry-oriented programmes to be sponsored by the Assam Skill Development Mission.

He asked the commissioner and secretary of skill department to start a training programme.

"The skill department will assist with finance and infrastructure and CIPET will extend faculty, tools and market linkages for the training programme," Patowary said.

IOCL executive director Jogen Barpujari said the oil corporation was committed towards society for which it has been extending sponsored programmes in areas such as hotel management, pisciculture and nursing. He called upon the trainees to upgrade their skill to scale new heights. "Once a technical person is employed, there can be no looking back," he said.

CIPET director K.J. Ghai said the course included plastic processing, moulding and recycling and the trainees had acquired the expertise to create plastic products. He said the plastic industry in Maharashtra and Gujarat had 5 lakh jobs to offer every year.

Patowary said, "Many plastic-related manufacturing units have come up in Assam. In future, these trainees with their expertise and experience can get better opportunities in their hometowns and can be future master trainers."