Sundargarh District Awarded for Success in Skill Development Programmes

Sundargarh: Sundargarh district has been awarded for the implementation and successful management of various innovative skill development programmes. The Sundargarh District Administration has been conferred as the ‘Most Improved District’ in the category of Skill Development at ‘State of the State Odisha’ conclave by India Today at Bhubaneswar held recently. Collector Sundargarh Nikhil Pavan Kalyan received the award from Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Various districts were honoured at the special conclave while Sundargarh District Administration was awarded for its outstanding achievements in Skill Development Programmes. The Collector thanked all the officers, functionaries and partners of various Skill Development Programmes in Sundargarh for the honour. He also wished for a bright future to the youths who are taking training and coaching under the Skill Development programmes of the district.

Over the past few years, the District Administration has undertaken a number of innovative skill development programmes in Sundargarh. Free coaching is provided to the educated youth from the mining affected areas of the district to help them crack different competitive examinations under the Sudakshya programme with 4 centres at Sundargarh, Rourkela, Bonai and Koira.

Similarly, the District Administration also provides free higher education entrance coaching for the meritorious students from mining affected blocks of the district to crack their dream career. Classes are provided for class 10 & 12 appearing and pass students, to crack entrances like IIT, JEE, NEET, NATA, CLAT etc. For the purpose, three centres have been established at Rourkela, Sundargarh and Rajgangpur to provide the coaching facilities to students.

Students from across the country throng Kota in Rajasthan to prepare for national level higher education entrances like Medical, Engineering, Law etc. The District Administration Sundargarh has roped in Kota based coaching institutes to provide mentoring and training in Sundargarh to meritorious students from mining affected, tribal and under privileged families. This will immensely help such talented students get into a college of their choice and fulfil their dreams.

Free coaching, hostel, food, study materials and uniform are provided to each student under ‘Sudakshya’ and IIT JEE Coaching programmes, supported by DMF Sundargarh.

To further expand the scope of employment opportunities, Hotel Management education and training is provided to tribal, mining affected and unemployed youths of Sundargarh. The selected candidates get an opportunity to pursue degree, diploma and certificate courses at the government run ‘State Institute of Hotel Management, Balangir’. DMF Sundargarh sponsors the course fee, hostel fees etc for the candidates.

Sundargarh District Administration has also launched a Job Readiness Training Programme for Youth (JRPY) with Odisha Knowledge Corporation Limited (OKCL) as its technical partner. 10 smart skill development centres have been established in the district to train the candidates in areas like Digital Communication, Computer Education, English etc.

To train the educated students of Sundargarh in advanced plastics technology, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology (CIPET) centre has been established at BPUT Campus in Rourkela. Recently, all 62 candidates who underwent skilling for Machine Operator Plastics Processing at CIPET got placed outside Odisha in various firms. While 22 candidates were inducted under Odisha Skill Development Authority OSDA, 40 were sponsored by the District Mineral Foundation Sundargarh.

Under Skilled in Odisha initiative of Odisha Skill Development Authority OSDA, Govt of Odisha, candidates from mining affected blocks, SC/ST and general background families in Sundargarh are skilled in various trades. After such training, the youth are able to secure livelihood in various organisations at Odisha and outside the state.