Bhubaneswar: Odisha took a significant stride in enhancing its skill development landscape on Wednesday by signing four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) at the World Skill Center in Bhubaneswar.
The agreements, exchanged in the presence of Industries and Skill Development & Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, aim to align vocational training with industry demands and prepare the state’s youth for emerging job markets. “Skill Development is not a peripheral welfare measure; it is a core economic strategy that will drive inclusive growth and global competitiveness,” the Minister said, adding that empowering youth with relevant and future-ready skills is essential to achieving the state’s long-term development goals.
A key highlight of the ceremony was the partnership with Tata Technologies to upgrade 22 Government ITIs across Odisha into Centres of Excellence (CoEs) at a total project cost of Rs 779.00 crore. While the government will bear 14 per cent of the project cost, Tata Technologies will contribute approximately 86 per cent in accordance with the agreement.
The upgraded ITIs will be equipped with state-of-the-art laboratories and industry-grade equipment, bringing training infrastructure on par with modern industrial standards. The Centres of Excellence will focus on high-growth and emerging sectors such as automobile including electric vehicles, design and verification tools, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and advanced manufacturing, advanced CNC and VMC machining, advanced plumbing technology, and process control and automation technology.
Tata Technologies will also extend comprehensive handholding support for five years, including deployment of trainers, maintenance of equipment, and facilitation of placements to ensure strong industry linkage and sustainable outcomes, an official release said.
Three other MoUs were signed to broaden the skilling ecosystem: a collaboration with UNICEF to leverage the YouthHub platform to facilitate placement of over 2,000 girls through digital skilling and an outcome-based funding model, a partnership between the World Skill Center and Kawasaki Robotics India Pvt Ltd to strengthen capacity in robotics, automation, and Industry 4.0 technologies, preparing youth for advanced manufacturing ecosystems and the third with Atreya Global Pvt Ltd to create structured overseas employment pathways in Germany and other European countries by integrating skilling, language training, placement facilitation, and post-placement support.
