BHUBANESWAR: As the State is making rapid strides in skill development and 11 industrial training institutes (ITIs) have been ranked among top-100 in the country, the Odisha Government has initiated the process for developing the institutions and polytechnics to Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in mineral bearing districts.
“At present, industry collaborative CoEs are being run in ITI, Cuttack, Pattamundai and Balasore. The leading industrial houses like Maruti Suzuki, IPSC and HSIL and Schneider Electric are in collaborative partnership with these ITIs,” said Skill Development and Technical Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh after a high level meeting here on Saturday.
The proposal for development of CoEs in automation technology at ITI Jajpur, in advanced welding at Jajpur polytechnic, in thermal cutting and welding at PCITI, Baripada, in thermal cutting and welding and Mini Tool Room at ITI Takatpur received in principle approval. The proposal for developing the ITIs at Karanjia, Udala, Kaptipada and the polytechnic in Mayurbhanj district, ITIs of Anandpur, Barbil and Odisha School of Mining Engineering in Keonjhar district, ITI and Engineering School of Jharsuguda, ITI Barkot and polytechnic in Deogarh, UGIE and ITI of Rourkela to CoEs was also approved.
The meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy discussed transforming some of the ITIs and polytechnics in districts covered under Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC) fund. Tripathy asked the department to start new age trades in drone piloting, solar technology, smart agriculture and horticulture, robotic technology, mechactronics, additive manufacturing technology as per the demand of students in different ITIs and polytechnics.
Three mini tool rooms have been commissioned at ITI of Cuttack, Berhampur and Hirakud in collaboration with Central Tool & Training Center (CTTC), Bhubaneswar. The components for Indian Space Research Organisation are being manufactured at ITI Cuttack. On employability of ITI and polytechnic pass-outs, Singh said, “There are 100 pc campus placements from Barbil and Jajpur polytechnics.” He added that modernisation of the Barbil ITI, OSME Keonjhar, ITI and UGIE of Rourkela with furnishing of IT labs, life skill classes, workshops, modern classrooms, residential facilities has been completed.
The new skill classes will be conducted in collaboration with industry partners as per their manpower requirement. The Centre has recognised ITI-Barbil as a model institute in the country. Eleven ITIs of Odisha (seven under Government and four run by private sector) ranked among top-100 ITIs of India in Phase-II ranking of the year 2019-20.