Bhubaneswar: Addressing the audience and participants at the Odisha Skill Conclave 2023 on Thursday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that our country is undergoing a significant transformation at this time as rapid technological advancements and changing job markets have made it imperative for everyone to invest in human capital and equip the young generation with the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century.
“I firmly believe that skill development is not just a moral obligation, but also an indispensable economic pre-requisite. Skilling youth leads to human transformation,” Naveen said.
Right now, Industry 4.0, the Future of Work and Skills are the buzzwords in the skilling industry he said, adding, that the Government of Odisha has kept a budgetary provision of Rs 100 crore for this year for a new scheme ‘NUA Odisha’ to train one lakh youth in future technologies like Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality- Virtual Reality, Data Science, 3-D printing and other futuristic knowledge.
“To achieve this, we need a collaborative effort between the central ministries, state government departments, industry, academia, and civil societies,” the Chief Minister said, adding, “We must work together to develop policies and programs that not only promote skills development but also ensure that those skills are recognised and valued in the job market.”
The Government of Odisha is committed to this cause and has launched several initiatives such as transforming the lives of the 70 Lakh of Women Mission Shakti members by supporting them in becoming Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), promoting startups and nano-unicorns.
According to the Chief Minister, during various platforms and consultations, employers have now started recognising the skill talents of Odisha.
“Now the time has come, when people are asking ‘Are you Skilled or Are you Skilled-in-Odisha’. The brand Skilled-in-Odisha is now ready to shine across the globe,” he said. “However, we cannot achieve our goals without the active participation of the private sector. I urge the industry to come forward and partner with us in this endeavour.”
