Bhubaneswar: The state government will provide free residential skill development training to persons with disabilities in offbeat trades.

The courses, varying between two months to six months, will cover DTP and print publishing assistant, integrated course in hair, skin and make-up, repair and maintenance of personal electronic devices and others.

This year, 740 children will be provided with such training at National Career Service Centre for Differently-abled in Gandamunda here.

This will be a joint imitative by the department of social security and empowerment of persons with disabilities, Union ministry of labour and employment and Odisha Skill Development Authority.

The ministry has supported various state governments to establish 107 model career service centres in the past two years, of which six are in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal,Sambalpur, Rourkela and Gajapati.

Ram Kishor Sharma, the centre's assistant director, said: "Family community, government/non-government organisations should, on the basis of empathy, awaken courage to face challenges, teach to settle problems. We are trying this," he said.