BHUBANESWAR: A 10-member UK Education and Skills delegation visited the State on Tuesday to strengthen economic links between United Kingdom and Odisha and promote business opportunities for the UK-based companies.
The delegation met officials of Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and held a discussion on how their services can help Odisha in bridging the gap and drive the economy forward.
The visit of the delegation was in response to the State Government’s request to the British Deputy High Commission for information and knowledge about UK expertise in the area of English language skills for primary, ITI and Diploma level students.
Interaction with UK vocational and technical skill providers especially in areas like healthcare, electrical and building infrastructure was also sought.
Apart from the discussions with Government officials, the visiting UK companies held focused interactions with local entrepreneurs looking for education and skills partnerships.
The UK Skills and Education companies which took part in the interaction include City and Guilds, Pearson, Mott MacDonald, UK Skills, Assessment Tomorrow, NCFE, Cambridge English, NPTC Group, Greengrade Solutions and British Councils.
“We have asked the UK delegation to provide us the outcome of the models they adopted in other States so that we can access the success rate before going for a collaborative venture,” said an OSDA official.
OSDA Chairman Subroto Bagchi, Secretary of Skill Development and Technical Education Department Sanjay Kumar Singh and Director of State Skill Mission Rajesh Pravakar Patil were present.
According to British High Commission of Eastern India, Bruce Bucknell, the UK has the capacity to deliver skill training to over three million learners a year in the UK alone.
“UK vocational skills and training providers have several years of experience in delivering world-class skills to people around the globe. I hope the visiting delegation would find business partners and commercial opportunities in Odisha,” he said in a statement.