Bhubaneswar: The state government on Friday claimed around 8.5 lakh youths had been provided with skill training during the past four years.

The government had set the target to provide skill training to 11 lakh youths within five years from 2014-15 under the Chief Minister's Employment Generation Programme. Of it, 8.5 lakh have been skilled by last December, said skill development and technical education department secretary Sanjay Singh.

These youths have been trained in various industrial training institutes (ITIs) diploma institutes, engineering colleges and skill development centres.

Besides, the Odisha Skill Development Authority has also imparted skill training to youths through project implementing agencies in the major trades such as electrical, apparel and garment, construction, information and communication technology, medical and nursing, plastic processing, refrigeration and air conditioning, production and manufacturing, hospitality, automotive, fabrication and fashion designing, he said.

Singh was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the governing body council meeting of the Odisha Skill Development Authority. Skill development and technical education minister Usha Devi urged the officers to scale up the implementation for 100 percent achievement of the targets for providing skill training to the youths in the scheduled time.

Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi directed the Skill Development Authority to focus on youth mobilisation, quality training and more placements in the coming year.

Chairman of Skill Development Authority Subroto Bagchi stressed on making the work skills inspirational and respectable. He also stressed on bridging the gap between employers, training institutions and potential trainees.

The officials claimed that the quality and expertise of the youths skilled in Odisha has received high appreciation from big employers and industry leaders such as Tata Steel, Café Coffee Day, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, 1-Merit, Orient Crafts and Tirupur Exporters Association. These industry leaders have expressed that skilled workers from Odisha have demonstrated "high level of learning potential and work ethics". They have "spark in their eyes to learn", "to progress" and be an "integral part of the growth story". They are "hard working" and they have "positive service mindset".

The Skill Caravan, launched by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on July 15 last year has received wide acceptance. So far, the state and district caravans have covered 61,961km in 30 districts and have directly mobilised more than 2.26 lakh youths. Around 630 local role models in skill training have taken part in these caravans, said the officials.

Issues such as placement-linked training programme, establishment of skill development centres. organisation of job fairs, online registration of job seekers, establishment of world skill centre at Bhubaneswar, organisation of Odisha Skill Competition, implementation of pilot projects figured in the meeting.