Pradhan bats for skill development in handloom, handicraft sectors

Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Sunday opined that skill development should be undertaken in the handloom, handicraft, textiles and tourism sectors of Odisha, as it would help in enhancing the state's skill ecosystem.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Odisha Skill Conclave here at the Centurion University, Pradhan noted that increased skill development in these sectors would spur employment opportunities and entrepreneurship.

"Focusing on skill development programmes inherent to Odisha's culture like handloom, handicrafts, textiles and tourism will help in including more people of the state in the skilling ecosystem and help them hone their skills for gainful employment opportunities and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, creating a pool of skilled manpower arising out of the government's current infrastructural developments projects, especially in the aviation sector and under the Saubhagya scheme will help in amplifying skill development opportunities as per current demand," he said.

At the Conclave, Pradhan said discussions would be undertaken to devise strategies to upgrade the skill ecosystem, the future of jobs and role of technology in shaping the skill ecosystem.

"It is necessary to join the dots to scale up skill ecosystem and leverage synergies across different industries to further strengthen various skill initiatives in the state. Over the period of next two days, we will brainstorm and deliberate on actionable steps to transform Odisha as a skill development and training hub," he added.

At the event, Pradhan, along with other dignitaries, also released a study report on skill development and employability of tribals in Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand at the two-day Conclave.