Bhubaneswar: The state government on Friday signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) for implementation of a soft skill training programme at 10 select government-run industrial training institutes (ITIs). The programme will benefit 800 students over a time period of two years.

The agreement was inked between Odisha Skill Development Authority, Tata STRIVE of Tata Community Initiatives Trust and entrepreneur Susmita Bagchi to improve life skills of trainees.

The youth development module of Tata STRIVE primarily covers all aspects of employability skill. Tata STRIVE and Bagchi will put in Rs 8 crore required to implement the programme on a 50:50 basis.

The concerned government ITIs will spare classrooms with all modern facilities and take care of the administrative part of the training.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik, who was present on the occasion, said: "The initiative will help in making ITI students employable and set a precedence for the entire country to follow."

"We have to equip our trainees with other soft skills beyond domain skills that are very much part of their curriculum," Naveen said.

" We are going to add 5,000 more seats to the existing intake capacity of about 17,700 in government ITIs over the next two years," he added.