Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi inaugurated a plethora of programmes on the occasion of World Youth Skills Day, on Monday.
“Our government is committed to making Odisha a hub for skilled manpower. A roadmap has been prepared for skill development. Within the next 2-3 years, our youth will be able to enter the skill development programme based on their interests and acquire employable skills as per the industry’s requirements. Our youth are the future of Odisha. With their skills and talents, Odisha will become a prosperous state,” said the CM in his speech.
CM made this statement at an event held at the office of the World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar to mark World Youth Skills Day.
Chief Minister Majhi said skill development and vocational education are the priority of our government. In the next budget, we will focus on qualitative improvement in the skill sector.
“The first Skill Centre was inaugurated for catering training in the hospitality sector. Plans are afoot to open nine more Skill Centres”, said Majhi adding “This will provide an opportunity for our youth to get trained in hospitality and related fields. These Skill Centres will be able to meet the demand for skilled manpower to establish Odisha as a tourism hub”, said CM.
That apart, the Chief Minister launched the ‘CM-ASPIRE’ initiative, a program designed to enhance the employability of young individuals by equipping them with essential skills and qualifications. He emphasized the crucial role of skill acquisition in making youth job-ready, enabling them to pursue advanced training and qualifications that align with the specific needs of various industries.
He said that emphasis will be placed on improving the model career centres established by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, creating employable skills for the youth, instilling the spirit of innovation and research and giving opportunities to the Odisha youth to receive higher professional education in the best institutes abroad.
Demand for skilled human resources is increasing rapidly as investment in infrastructure is increasing. Its need will be felt even more in the days to come. Therefore, we will set up about 10 Biswakarma Centers to make the youth skilled in the construction sector, said the Chief Minister.
Similarly, there is a need for local employment to meet the needs of local industries. For this, decentralization of skill development programmes is very important, he said. With this aim, he said that new skill centres are being opened at the district level.
The Chief Minister said that our government is focusing on empowering the districts to increase their capacity in the local sector.
Highlighting the importance of skill in his speech, the Chief Minister said that skill is the foundation of progress. He said that the skills of the youth are the backbone of the economic strength of the nation and it also creates the identity of a progressive society.
He further said that the demand for skilled human resources is increasing with development. Odisha must stand at the forefront of this movement. He opined that it is very important to prepare the youth to face this vocation with confidence and ability. We envision a state where every youth can empower themselves by excelling in their chosen field. With changing circumstances, we need to change direction. It is also important to make the movement natural, he said.
We have allocated around Rs 31 crore for capacity building in the interim budget this year and it will be increased further in the coming years, he said.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister appealed to the young women and said that they should actively participate in the skill development program and make good use of this opportunity.
Today, the Chief Minister launched a Skill Chariot. This chariot will travel across the state to spread the message of skill among the youth.
Skill Development and Technology Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain attended the programme and said that the state government has started a plan to take Odisha to a new level in the field of skill development. He said that Odisha’s potential in the field of technology will be fully utilized and youth power will be developed.
Usha Padhi, Principal Secretary of the department gave the welcome speech.
