By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, July 30, 2016 : Around 3.47 lakh youths in Odisha have been trained in various employable and self employment skills during 2014-15 and 2015-16, officials said adding that various departments have worked out their training programmes keeping in target to train around 8 lakh youths in coming 3 years.

The departments like panchyati raj, skill development and technical education, housing and urban development, scheduled tribe and scheduled caste development, agriculture, handloom and textiles, commerce and transport, tourism, medium, small and micro enterprises and information technology have set the target of skilling around 2,44 000 youth during 2016-17.

The state government has set a target to impart training to 11 lakh youths under Chief Ministers Employment Generation Programme ( CMEGP) within 5 years from 2014-15.

Chairing over a high level official meeting on ‘adoption of common norms in skill training programmes here, chief secretary, Aditya Prasad Padhi said that skill development trainings programmes should focus on qualitative training and engagement with quality employers for the youths ‘skilled in Odisha’.

Padhi directed the departments not to take up short duration computer courses like tally, data entry, DTP etc which do not add to the employability or entrepreneurship. The departments were asked to focus on high employable trades in construction, food processing, manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare sectors.

The departments were asked for grading of the Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) and training centers to identify good training partners. The non-performing and sub-standard agencies should not be entrusted with more skill programmes. Chief Secretary directed officials to share the list of such sub-standard PIAs with each other for precautionary actions.

It was decided in the meeting that common mobilization and motivational programmes will be organized at village, Panchayat and ULB level to recruit more youths to the training programmes. The youths would be given the option to choose the trade, department and PIA as per their choice.

Principal Secretary SD & TE, Gupta appraised that more cost has been provisioned for providing quality training, good food & hygienic living with basic minimum facilities at residential training centers. Around 36% of cost hike has been done to achieve higher quality in these components of the training programmes.

Subroto Bagchi, Chairman, Odisha Skill Development Authority, specially invited to the meeting advised to harbor on those skills which have higher demand in world market. He underscored the need to develop centers of excellence in skill training in each urban center with chosen trades.