BHUBANESWAR: Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida on Tuesday announced that the state government will provide advanced skill training to beneficiaries of the Subhadra scheme to help them become entrepreneurs or even secure jobs.
She said the skilling initiative will cover women in the 21-35 age group who have already been enrolled under the Subhadra scheme. “One lakh women will be enrolled under the central SHG entrepreneurship scheme every year. Subhadra beneficiaries who have completed skills training will get priority linkage to funding, incubation, and business support,” the deputy CM informed.
The beneficiaries will be mapped for their existing skills and aptitude and training will be customised to upgrade them for market requirement, she added.
Stating that the aim of the initiative is to move women from being dependent on financial aid to ensuring their sustainable livelihood, the deputy CM said they will be linked with placement opportunities, credit and market access.
“The Subhadra scheme currently covers over one crore women with direct financial assistance. The new skilling component is designed to ensure assistance for asset creation. Through Subhadra, we are not just giving support, we are building careers and enterprises. This is Viksit Odisha in action,” Parida added.
She informed that the beneficiary mapping exercise will begin in July, with the first batch of training expected to begin in the same month.
The programme will be implemented in convergence with Mission Shakti, Skill Development and Technical Education, MSME, Industries, and Handlooms, Textiles & Handicrafts departments.
District-level committees will track mobilisation, training quality and post-training outcomes. The training modules will include digital literacy, financial and business management, food processing, tailoring and apparel, beauty and wellness, IT/ITeS, tourism and hospitality, and new-age services based on local demand. Mobile skilling vans and cluster-based centres will be used to ensure last-mile coverage.