ADB to fund US$85m for skill development in Odisha

The deal signed between Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will seek to improve the skill development ecosystem in Odisha and establish an advanced skill training center

December 3, 2018

ADB’s partnership will engage the Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES), Singapore, to support the state in setting-up the World Skill Center

The project will help over 150,000 people learn skills in priority sectors, including manufacturing, construction and services for formal employment

The project comes on the heels of the second edition of the biennial ‘Make in Odisha’ event that received investment commitment worth US$58.3 billion

At the close of the financial year 2017, the resources-rich state had attracted over 900 projects with ongoing investments worth over US$184 billion

Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a US$85 million loan on December 3 to improve the skill development ecosystem in the eastern state of Odisha. The deal will set up an advanced skill training center, the World Skill Center (WSC), in the state capital Bhubaneswar. The project is expected to improve the quality of the state’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) programmes by making them relevant to market demand, while aligning with international standards.

Projects such as this are expected to meet the employment need of the emerging sectors in India and globally. ADB’s partnership will engage the Institute of Technical Education Services (ITEES), Singapore, to support Odisha Skill Development Authority in setting-up the WSC. The centre will offer internationally benchmarked training for the state’s working age population. It will help over 150,000 people learn skills in priority sectors, including manufacturing, construction and services for formal employment.

The WSC will deliver eight training courses for 13,000 full-time students, provide training for 5,000 teachers, and train 1,000 assessors. It will improve the overall ecosystem of skill development in Odisha by providing integrated services through an entrepreneurship incubation center, a career counseling and placement center, a curriculum design and development center, and technology deployment center. WSC will develop skills and capacity of polytechnics, college of engineering, and other private skilling centers.

The project comes on the heels of the second edition of the biennial ‘Make in Odisha’ event that was held in November 2018, and during which the state received investment commitment of about US$58.3 billion across 15 sectors. Meanwhile, more than 65 per cent of the US$28 billion investment proposals received in the 2016 ‘Make in Odisha’ conclave are under implementation. At the close of the financial year 2017, the state had attracted over 900 projects with live investments worth over US$184 billion.

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