Aditya Birla Skills Centre: Fostering Sustainable Livelihood in Odisha’s Sambalpur

Bhubaneswar: The Aditya Birla Skills Centre (ABSC), which was flagged off by Hindalco at Hirakud in 2020, is making significant strides.

The institute in Odisha’s Sambalpur district has trained over 400 youngsters and successfully placed nearly 60% of them in various sectors.

The-state-of-the-art Skills Centre with trained manpower is mentored by Kailash Pandey, Hirakud Cluster Head.

“This is a much-needed activity across the region. It is very critical, in so far as it is possible to leverage the potential of the youth, and to see Odisha’s forward march. The government is also pulling out all stops to ensure employment opportunities for the young,” said Pandey.

The institute offers several multi-skilled short-term vocational training for those in the age-group of 18 to 28 years. Minimum qualification for entrance is Class X pass.

Courses offered include Office Assistant, Data Entry Operator (OAD), Accounts Assistant (AAT), and Retail Sales Associate (RSA). The duration of training varies from 50 to 80 days.

ABSC trainees also undergo personality development, English language lessons, communication skills, financial literacy, innovative thinking and entrepreneurship training.

Sambalpur District Employment Exchange Director S C Murmu lauded the initiative of Hindalco Industries Limited.

“I strongly advise that youths seeking employment, especially those who do not have any technical qualification, must visit ABSC and try and enrol in any of their courses which are absolutely free of cost. ABSC will definitely help them build a strong career path through their holistic training approach and market linked and industry approved courses,” adds Murmu.

Students who have passed through the portals or undergone training programmes offered by ABSC admit that this vocational training has impacted their lives in a transformative manner and enabled them to become self-reliant.

“Because of ABSC I could develop my employability skills, and today I am successfully working as an Area Manager in Mahindra Motors,” said Nalini Mirdha from Jamadarpali in Hirakud, expressing her gratitude to the trainers at ABSC for giving her the platform to excel professionally.

Another beneficiary Ankit Suna, also from Hirakud said she was clueless about how to earn a living and support her ailing mother until she joined Aditya Birla Skills Centre.

“It not only helped me in my skill development but also transformed me into a more confident individual,” said Suna.

As a responsible corporate citizen and driven by the constant motivation to give back to society, in Odisha, the

Aditya Birla Group, whose CSR is conducted under the aegis of Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development chaired by Rajashree Birla, reaches out to over 5 lakh people, touching more 2 lakh lives in 128 villages.