Bhubaneswar: Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati Friday said skill development and education should go hand-in-hand to create a globally competitive workforce.
To achieve this goal, the Governor said that there is a need for stronger collaboration between educational institutions and skill development centres.
He was speaking during the inauguration of the NSDC’s (National Skill Development Corporation) international centre at the Skill Development Institute (SDI), Bhubaneswar.
Referring to the National Education Policy 2020, the Governor said that there is also a need to integrate skill training with higher education.
“In today’s globalised world, building skills is essential for increasing productivity, driving economic growth, and empowering society,” he said.
Kambhampati said that skill development should also include support for entrepreneurship.
He added that institutions should not only impart technical skills but also guide students on how to start businesses, get funding, and find opportunities.
He also stressed the importance of vocational education from an early age, stating that “children learn faster than adults and should be introduced to vocational training as part of their curriculum”.
On Skill India Mission, he commended the initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and appreciated Odisha’s contribution under the leadership of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“I am happy to witness Odisha emerging as a hub of skill and employment,” he added.
The Governor lauded the SDI’s state-of-the-art 47-acre campus built with a Rs 500-crore investment and hailed its role as a finishing school for engineering, polytechnic, and ITI students.
On the occasion, he inaugurated the NSDC International Academy, which aims to prepare youth for overseas employment, and flagged off the ‘Skill on Wheel’ project — a mobile training unit designed to deliver outreach training programmes at the doorsteps of various educational institutions across Odisha.
Odisha’s Minister of State for Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education, Sampad Chandra Swain, said the institute will not only impart technical skills but also play a key role in shaping responsible and capable individuals.
PTI
