Odisha govt launches skill on wheels to popularise vocational Education

With an aim to popularise vocational education across Odisha, the state government launched 'skill on wheels' campaign under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan on Wednesday. Skill on wheels is a mobile laboratory developed by the department technical partner Lend-a-Hand India with tools of multi-skilling including engineering, energy and environment, agriculture and food processing.

The mobile lab will campaign at six selected government high schools in and around Bhubaneswar for three days to make students aware about vocational education.

Two trainers and some students of vocational education are travelling with the lab to life demonstrate hands-onuse of tools and explain about their benefits.

Flagging off the vehicle, school and mass education minister Badri Narayan Patra said, "Odisha is giving priority on implementation of vocational education at secondary and higher secondary levels. Students in high schools are studying vocational education as 3rd language and appearing exam of 100 marks. This will make them skilled and increase their employability."

The state government has signed a MoU with Lend-a-Hand India, a voluntary organisation, which will provide technical and project management support for implementation of the scheme.

State project head OPEPA, B S Poonia said, "The state government is going to expand vocational education to 95 more secondary schools out of which 80 schools will have multi-skilling as one of the trade which provides wider opportunity of learning."

The state government will also launch vocational education in 25 higher secondary schools (Junior colleges) under the Samagra Sikhya Abhiman from this year, he said.

Presently vocational education is being offered in six subjects including IT and ITES, retail, travel and tourism, banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), health care and beauty and wellness to class IX students in 314 high schools. The course will have four levels, which will complete in class XII.

Each school can offer two subjects including IT and each subject has 35 seats. Students have to complete 200 hours of course, 120 hours of practical and 80 hours of theory to complete the course.