Skill Development Institute comes up in Odisha capital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 9:

Skill Development Institute (SDI) was today inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan here.

The first such Institute has been set up by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd here with support from other Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) under Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG).

“Odisha, like the rest of the country has a young workforce and more than half of the total population is below 25 years of age. Our country is moving towards a globalised knowledge economy and we must meet the rising aspirations of our youth. One of the ways, in which, that can be achieved is through skill development in specialised areas which are required by the market. However, skilling cannot be seen in isolation and our government is taking all steps to see that it is an integral part of our education system and our economic growth strategy,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said.

Notably, the state government has renamed the nodal department as Department of Skill Development & Technical Education to align with the new National policy on Skill Development.

“We have recently set up the Odisha Skill Development Authority under the Chairmanship of the well-known IT Entrepreneur, Shri Subroto Bagchi. The Authority will guide, implement, coordinate and oversee all skill development programmes in the State to ensure quality skill training standards and sustained employability of trained youths, with an objective to produce an outstanding skilled workforce comparable to the best in the world,” he added.

In line with the National Skill Development Mission, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) has taken the lead in setting up Skill Development Institutes (SDIs) in different parts of the country, through the oil & gas public sector undertakings under it. It is the culmination of the idea of Prime Minister about skilling of India.

To begin with, certification courses in two trades (i.e. Industrial Welder and Electrician) will be imparted at SDI Bhubaneswar. The courses are aligned to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) of Govt. of India and approved by the Sector Skill Councils under National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Faculty from Nettur Technical Training Foundation (NTTF) will also be associated in the training process. For the first course around 90 students have been selected and will undergoing training for a period of 6 months.

The employment oriented programme to be undertaken by SDI Bhubaneswar will include practical technical training through simulator and actual equipment used in the Industry. In addition, training on soft skills, computer and English language will also be imparted. The training will be followed by stringent assessment and certification process thus making the candidates ‘job-fit’ for the Industry. In addition, training on entrepreneurship will also be provided as part of the course to enable students earn their livelihood and make them self-sufficient.

On the occasion of the inauguration of the institute Dharmendra Pradhan expressed confidence that the institute will impart necessary skills to the youth of state. This will make them self reliant and wean them away from the culture of doles. Such trend youth will be in a position to leverage the opportunities both inside and outside the country.

Pradhan requested Patnaik to accede to the request for 100 acres of land which was already made earlier. The CM while complementing the institute taken by the Govt of India, assured of all support and cooperation for the project.

Among others, MP Prasanna Kumar Patasani, dignitaries from MoP&NG, state government and Oil & Gas Industry were present on the occasion.