'Increased cooperation between govt, states necessary for new age skilling'

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday called for enhanced cooperation between the Centre and states for new age skilling in the country.

Inaugurating the Odisha Skill Conclave 2023, the chief minister said skill development is not just a moral obligation, but an indispensable economic pre-requisite.

Skilling youth leads to human transformation, he said.

To achieve the goal, Odisha needs a collective, collaborative effort between the central ministries, state government departments, industry, academia and civil society to develop policies and programmes to promote skill development, and ensure that those skills are recognised and valued in the job market, Patnaik said.

The country is going through a significant transformation, rapid technological advancements and changing job markets have made it imperative for us to invest in our human capital and equip our younger generation with the skill they need to succeed in the 21st century, the chief minister said.

Expressing hope that the brand Skilled in Odisha' is ready to shine across the globe, Patnaik said, the state has kept a budgetary provision of Rs 100 crore for this year for the new scheme Nua Odisha' to train the youth in future technologies like cloud computing, artificial technology, and data science.

The inaugural session also witnessed signing of at least 20 MoUs in the steel development sector.