Bhubaneswar: Describing skill development as an indispensable economic p-requisite and not just a moral obligation, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday said skilling the youth leads to human transformation.
Inaugurating the Odisha Skill Conclave 2023 in Bhubaneswar, Naveen said said in order to succeed in the 21st century, the young generation needs to be equipped with skills at a time when the country is undergoing a significant transformation.
“Rapid technological advancements and changing job markets have made it imperative for us to invest in our human capital,” he said, adding that the Odisha government has kept a budgetary provision of Rs100 Crore this year for 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.
Noting that Industry 4.0, and the Future of Work and Skills are the buzzwords in the skilling industry right now, the Chief Minister said to achieve this, we need a collaborative effort between the central ministries, state government departments, industry, academia, and civil societies.
“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,” he said.
The Odisha government is committed to this cause and has launched several initiatives such as transforming the lives of the 70 Lakh of Women Mission Shakti members through supporting them in becoming small and medium enterprises, promoting startups and nano-unicorns.
During various platforms and consultations, employers have now started recognising the skill talents of Odisha, the CM said, adding that now 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.
Stating that the state cannot achieve its goals without the active participation of the private sector, the Chief Minister urged the industry to come forward and partner with the government in this endeavor.
Prominent among others present on the occasion were Skill Development Minister Pritiranjan Ghadai, Chief Secretary P K Jena and Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) Chairman Subroto Bagchi. The three-day event is slated to conclude on April 22.
