6 MILLION SKILLED WORKFORCE IS NEEDED IN 10 YEARS IN ODISHA

6 MILLION SKILLED WORKFORCE IS NEEDED IN 10 YEARS IN ODISHA 30/12/2011
ODISHA NEWS:

To keep pace with the tempo of industrialization, Orissa needs to generate a pool of around six million skilled professionals over the next 10 years to plug its glaring skill gap.

A study by National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC) has projected Orissa's requirement of skilled people at 13.5 million in the next 10 years.



The state's skilled workforce strength currently stands at 7.5 million, meaning a need to add six million more such professionals to power its industrial growth engine.


"Our chairman had a meeting with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik four months back. NSDC had agreed to facilitate a study on district-level skill gap and accordingly we have come out with the report. There is a huge skill gap in the state and there is also a capacity gap. The state has a training capacity of only 0.14 million and this has to be scaled up significantly to meet the growing demand for skilled people”, said Jaikant Singh, head (monitoring) of NSDC.


Singh said, NSDC would launch a focused pilot-level effort soon in three districts – Ganjam, Jajpur and Sambalpur to fill the skill gap.NSDC has also stressed on the need to fill in infrastructure gaps at the training centres in the state.
Moreover, the corporation's focus is on creating employment opportunities in districts depending on the available potential.


"There is potential within districts and this has to be explored. For example, if a region in the state is conducive for ginger production, logistics and technical support can be offered to the people. By generating employment opportunities for people and equipping them with skills based on the local, social and livelihood structure of their geographies, we can help improve their lot and economic condition, obviating the need for their migration to other states”, Singh stated.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA,
BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS,
ODISHA