Bhubaneswar: With an aim to make youths industry ready, the State Cabinet today approved the Nutana Unnata Abhilasha (NUA) Odisha scheme with an outlay of Rs. 385 crores to skill a lakh of youth every year in the State during next three years.
Briefing media persons after the Cabinet, Chief Secretary P K Jena said the scheme will work towards addressing the scarcity of skilled human resources in emerging trades by offering high-quality training, fostering industry linkages, and enhancing employability skills.
It will also help to bridge the skill-gap in utilization of new-age technologies in traditional sectors (handicraft, handloom, agriculture), etc. Offerings will include fresh skilling for youths, add-on-courses for existing students, digital and e-courses for youths in higher educational institutions, employability skills for students in various institutions, etc., he said.
The scheme will be implemented across the 30 Districts in the State for skilling, reskilling, and upskilling of youths through Skilling Institutions of the SD & TE Department (ITI, Polytechnic, etc.), Govt Skilling Institutions, Educational Institutions, Clusters (MSME, Agriculture, Craft, etc).
The establishment of state-of-the-art training centres, well-equipped labs, and a strong skilling ecosystem will further facilitate strengthening the Skilled-in-Odisha brand. As envisaged in the Budget 2023-24, NUA Odisha reflects the commitment of the Government to ensure transformation of human lives through Skilling leading to economic empowerment, he added.