Empowering 600,000 youth: Odisha ropes in Leo Burnett for skill branding

Odisha Skilled Development Authority has a target of providing employable skills to 600,000 youths in 2018-19

Global advertising behemoth Leo Burnett would spearhead Odisha's campaign to make 'Skilled in Odisha' a global brand, following the state government's decision to avail the services of the US-based international creative agency for the initiative. Official sources said the project would be implemented through TLG India, the Indian arm of Leo Burnett.

The creative agency would be tasked with brand strategy, preparing brand manual and coming up with a communication plan to help achieve the goals of Odisha Skilled Development Authority chaired by Subroto Bagchi.

The skill development body has a target of providing employable skills to 600,000 youths in 2018-19.

“Various efforts are being taken to reach out to the students through events. Leo Burnett is a creative agency and they will be preparing theme for reaching out to the students to take up all kind of skill courses. They have been hired for a period of three years subject to renewal every year”, Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, chief executive officer, Odisha Skill Development Authority. 

The agency will help in the creative aspect of the work, making "Skilled in Odisha" a brand, he added.

With a commitment timpartingrt skill training to the youths, the state government has formed a Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA), an apex body with a primary objective of providing employable skills to 0.63 million youth by 2018-19. The agency, which is headed by Subroto Bagchi , co-founder of IT firm Mindtree, guides, implements, coordinates and oversees all skill development programmes in the state to ensure quality skill training standards and sustained employability of trained youth to provide outstanding skilled workforce comparable to the best in the world.

TLG India's mandate would include promotional videos, promotional advertisement for radio, Designing of Brand manuals and to position Bhubaneswar as a unique global skill destination.

The state government , through OSDA is taking up various interventions to boost skill development in the state. OSDA has initiated and taken a number of steps to meet skilling targets as envisaged in the Chief Minister Employment Guarantee Programme and broader policy of the state from time to time. The state government has set a target to train 1.1 million youths by 2019-20.