By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, November 30, 2017: Close to one lakh unemployed youths with technical education have registered their names in employment exchanges for jobs till September 2017 in Odisha, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Usha Devi told the assembly here on Thursday.

Of the 99,445 such candidates registered with different employment exchanges, 88,837 are males and 10,608 are females, she added.

Replying to a written question from Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Balabhadra Majhi, the minister said 46,749 candidates are Industrial Training Institute passouts, 37,029 are diploma holders, 14,296 are graduates and 741 are postgraduates.

Only 464 candidates of the registered unemployed youths got employment between 2014 and September 2017. Besides, 4,096 ITI and diploma candidates were recruited through a central placement cell, she said adding that the state government has constituted the Odisha Skill Development Authority to provide skill training to youths.

The Chief Minister’s Employment Generation Programme was launched in 2014-15 for creating employment and self-employment opportunities for youths.

The government has worked out a plan to include 11 lakh youths under the programme between 2014-15 and 2018-19, the Minister added.

The government has already provided skill development training to 5.97 lakh youths under the programme till October through 70 skill development centres across the state.