Bhubaneswar: Reaffirming the State Government’s focus on creating a future-ready workforce, Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain on Tuesday said Odisha is committed to emerging as a leading hub for skill development and technical education in the country.
Addressing the state-level World Youth Skills Day celebrations at the Convention Centre in Lok Seva Bhawan, the Minister said skilled youth are the driving force behind India’s growth and called upon young people to continuously upgrade their capabilities to meet the demands of emerging sectors such as advanced manufacturing, digital technology, artificial intelligence, the green economy and the services sector.
Highlighting this year’s global theme, “Skills for a Shared Future,” Swain said the rapidly changing world requires youth to acquire a balanced mix of technical, digital, AI, green and socio-emotional skills. He urged students to dream big and embrace skilling, reskilling and upskilling to prepare for future opportunities.
The event also recognised Odisha’s outstanding performance at the IndiaSkills Competition 2025-26, where the state emerged as the National Skill Champion by securing the highest number of medals in the country. A total of 62 medal winners were presented the Chief Minister’s Skill Award, with cash incentives of ₹2 lakh for gold medalists, ₹1 lakh for silver, ₹50,000 for bronze and ₹25,000 for recipients of the Medallion of Excellence.
The first batch of fellows under the Chief Minister’s Skill Development Fellowship (CMSDF), launched in 2024, was also felicitated after successfully completing the two-year programme. Institutional partners Tata Strive and the Indian School of Business were honoured for their contribution to the fellowship.
To strengthen industry-academia collaboration and improve employment opportunities for skilled youth, the department signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with several organisations, including TCS iON, Edunet Foundation, TNAUTO, ISIEIndia, Abicor Binzel and Yudiz Solutions.
Earlier in the day, Sampad Chandra Swain and Higher Education, Sports & Youth Services and Odia Language, Literature & Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj jointly flagged off a Skill Marathon at Kalinga Stadium. More than 500 students from the World Skill Center, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), polytechnics and other educational institutions participated in the event.
The programme was attended by Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Skill Development and Technical Education Department; Chakraborty Singh Rathore, Director of Technical Education & Training and Skill Development-cum-Employment; Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, CEO of the World Skill Center; senior government officials and industry representatives.
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