Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 29: Concerned at the rising dropout rate of students between Classes VIII and Plus II, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed officials of the employment, technical education and training (ETET) department to provide skill-based training to such students, with particular focus on Class X and Plus II dropouts, in order to increase their chances of securing employment.
Patnaik reviewed the achievements and future strategy of the department after the completion of the first year in office of his government’s fourth term.
The Chief Minister also sought officials to give priority to poorly performing students of Class X and Plus II so as to help increase their career options.
The CM asked the department to ensure participation of a minimum of three per cent of differently-abled students in various employment related programmes.
The newly-formed department for the differently-abled persons will coordinate with the ETET department for proper participation of the students in these programmes.
The Chief Minister asked ETET department to create a ‘Common Web Based Platform’ to avoid duplication in enrolments for various training programmes conducted by the state government.
He further directed all officials present at the meeting to strengthen the ‘Employment Mission’ and appoint skilled employees in order to make it a nodal agency for training programmes of all government departments in the state.
While the state government has set a target of providing skill training to 11 lakh youths in five years in the state starting from 2014-15, it has managed in the first year to provide training to over 1.5 lakh youths.