Bhubaneswar: Five technical education agreements were signed during the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on the second day of the Odisha Skills 2018 event at the Exhibition ground here Sunday.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Odisha Skills is the first-of-its-kind state-level skills competition organised by the government.
“I am confident that such events will lead to more opportunities for the youth at the global level and will make skill aspirational for them. I am overwhelmed to see large participation from our young competitors from all across the state in 25 skills including automobile technology, beauty therapy, hair dressing, bricklaying, mobile robotics and restaurant service etc.” The first MoU was signed between University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Biju Patnaik University of Technology in the field of Internet of Things (IoT) and Robotics.
The second MoU was signed between the Centre for Development of Advance Computing, Govt. of India and Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT) in the field of Super Computation, Artificial Intelligence and high-end research.
An MoU was also signed between C-DAC, Govt. of India and Centurion University of Technology & Management (CUTM) in Super Computation and its use for skill development and research.
The Director of Technical Education and Training, Odisha and Central Tool Room & Training Centre also signed an MoU for the establishment of five mini tool rooms in Berhampur, Balasore, Cuttack, Talcher and Hirakud for imparting professional training to ITI passouts in handling high-end machines and technology.
The fifth MoU was inked between Odisha Skill Development Authority and Eye Mitra 2.5 New Vision Generation, a division of Essilor India, for sector specific skill development for self employment in vision care.
Subroto Bagchi, chairman of Odisha Skill Development Authority, said, “We are in process of making Skilled in Odisha a brand and make it a worldwide name; it is time to make our youth skillfull in every way before getting a job who can work at any level.
“They must be fully skilled in every way. Our mission for world skills has to be mission-1-2-3, that is 1. gold, 2. silver and 3. bronze.”
More than 2000 skilled students had qualified from 7,000 participants in two rounds screening. Out of this, two students from every skill will be selected for the regional level and from where they will go to the national level. The winners at the national level will compete at the international skills competition platform in Russia next year.
The Chief Minister had announced a cash prize of `1 lakh for gold medalist, `75,000 for silver medalist and `50,000 for bronze winner at the national level from the state.
During the event a seminar was also organised in which delegates such as Tim Kobe, renowned architect, Tobias Stapelton, VC of MIT USA, and Sopendu Mohanty, Chief FINTECH, participated. They said in the next 10 years only skilled persons can get employment in any sector.