Bhubaneswar: Skilled in Odisha, an initiative of the state government, has completed its first phase and entered the "second phase of transformation".
With an objective of skill development of the youths of Odisha and increase their employability, the state government had set up the Odisha Skill Development Authority two years ago and launched the Skilled in Odisha initiative.
A four-member delegation of Odisha had visited Singapore in 2017 for the Asian Skill Leaders' Summit which led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Odisha government and Temaseek Foundation of Singapore in the presence of chief minister Naveen Patnaik for exchange of skill leadership programme.
According to the deal, 100 skill leaders of Odisha were trained in Singapore on the transformation of government-run industrial training institutes (ITIs). These 100 skill leaders carried forward the rejuvenation activities at the level of ITIs and now they are all set to enter into the second phase of transformation.
The first phase concluded with culmination of a two-day workshop.
The workshop spelt out the Vision 2020. This included (i) making the physical digital and intellectual infrastructure best in the country, (ii) increasing skilled women professionals to a minimum level of one third among the total skill personnel, (iii) providing the eco-system for creating entrepreneurs and globally employable ITI graduates, (iv) enhancing industry partnership in skilling exercise and (v) making the teachers and students fit for carrying forward the vision of sustainability.
Odisha's planning, convergence, skill development and technical education minister Usha Devi said: "The skill transformation of Odisha has created a mark at national level and we will soon emerge as one of the best in this regard at international level."
Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said: "The exercise made in the workshop was the best in the class of its own. Carrying forward the standard of the ITIs towards excellence marks the uniqueness of Odisha from the rest of the country in skill scenario."
Skill development and technical education secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh said: "The journey of transformation in technical and vocational education started two years ago. We have integrated 'hardware, software and heartware' components of the skill and now Odisha is all set to venture into the second phase of the transformation."
