Berhampur: Government-run Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Odisha’s Berhampur organised a ‘Waste 2 Wealth’ symposium to equip students of other institutions with the skills, knowledge and confidence to help them seek employment in their chosen field with a specific focus on the green sector.
These include skills in areas such as waste management and environmental protection by upcycling scraps from automobile, e-waste, tyre, bottle cap and TMT bars from demolished buildings into artifacts.
Vice Chancellor of Berhampur University Dr Geetanjali Dash and VC of Khallikote Unitary University Prof Prafulla Kuar Mahanty formally inaugurated the 3-days symposium that began at the ITI campus on Thursday.
Prof Geetanjali Dash said knowledge can be provided through education. But skill is an important component of education these days. It is good that ITI Berhampur is focusing on skill development which should be the purpose of education, she said.
Prof Mahanty said that the ITI Berhampur has now become a premier institute in India as it coordinates skills with creativity for sustainability. This is praiseworthy and the students of ITI would definitely enlighten others, he said.
Dr Rajat Kumar Panigrahi, Principal ITI Berhampur said the objective of this symposium is to showcase how five different categories of wastes are being upcycled. As per the UNESCO’s Green Skill Youth Employment Programmes which have been running since 2012 and working for the youths between 16 to 25 years age group, these programmes have built the capacity of over a thousand young people with the aim of improving their employability skills and their chances of employment. Our students are skilled and we are imparting the skills here. So it is the best source to our sustainability, said the principal.
P K Rao, a retired faculty member of the UCP Engineering School who was very popular among the Mechanical Engineering students, appealed to the young students to sustain on skills, knowledge and confidence to help others seek employment in their chosen fields with focus on the green sector.
ITI Berhampur also intends to reach the public as a mission towards green skills. A 24X7 outlet would be open for the public 24-hours where the public can buy the ‘Waste to Wealth’ products produced by the students through a cashless counter.
