Bhubaneswar: The World Skill Center (WSC), Odisha’s premier institution for advanced skill training, celebrated the graduation of its 6th batch today. Sampad Chandra Swain, Minister for Skill Development and Technical Education department graced the occasion and congratulated the 1,088 graduating students for embarking on the next phase of their careers with confidence and industry-ready skills.

In his address, the Minister applauded the remarkable placement record of the graduating batch, with more than 93% students already placed in reputed companies and many more expected to secure offers soon. Notably, 94 students have received international job offers in the UAE with leading companies such as EMRILL and Jindal SAW, showcasing the growing global recognition of the “Skilled-in-Odisha” brand.

“This is not just a moment of celebration, but also of transformation. The Chief Minister has laid great emphasis on skill development as a cornerstone of our journey towards Viksit Odisha. By empowering youth with industry-ready skills, we are not only creating livelihoods but also building the future of our State,” the Minister said.

On this occasion, the Minister also inaugurated two state-of-the-art Centers of Excellence – the CoE in Smart Manufacturing (in partnership with FESTO) and the CoE in Industrial Automation (in collaboration with Schneider). These facilities will enable students to train at par with the global standards and prepare them for the rapidly evolving demands of industry.

Graduates of the School of Engineering have secured placements in companies such as Johnson Lifts, Reliance Solar, Jindal Steel, Fujitec, JSW, Tata Steel, Tata Autocomp, Airtel, and Wipro Aerospace, among others. Students of the School of Services have been placed with IHLC of Tata, Green Trends, VLCC, Jawed Habib, Mahindra, Swosti, and other reputed organizations. Several students earned annual packages of up to ₹5.25 lakh, reflecting both the quality of training at WSC and the ambition of Odisha’s youth.

In recognition of academic excellence, 29 outstanding trainees were felicitated with Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals for securing the top three positions in their respective trades.

The event was attended by Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, SD and TE Department, and Rashmita Panda, Director, Skill Development-cum-Employment and CEO, OSDA & WSC. Senior corporate representatives also graced the occasion, including Ranjit Ray (VP, Calderys India Refractories Ltd.), Saroj Kumar Mohanta (GM – Head Engineering and Maintenance), Syed Sameer Ali (Park Head, Wonderla Holidays Ltd., Bhubaneswar) and Abhishek Kumar (HR Head Odisha, Bharti Airtel).