Inaugurating the two-day NUA Odisha Global Summit on Growth and Employment in Bhubaneswar, Naveen said, “In the age of rapidly changing technology and its impact on our future, we must be in a position to swiftly adapt to the new dimensions of socio-economic structure. Transformation for us is not a choice, it’s an essentiality. Our youth must be future ready.”

He said the first NUA Odisha Global Summit on Growth and Employment will be a platform to understand the trend and set a clear path for the future of state’s youth. “As we stand at the crossroads of economic evolution, it is imperative that we come together – industry leaders, and other key stakeholders – to deliberate on strategies that will shape the destiny of our workforce and propel Odisha towards unprecedented prosperity,” he added.

The chief minister hoped that the summit will lay the foundation for identifying potential growth sectors, future workforce strategies, innovative job creation opportunities, and developing Skilled-in-Odisha for upcoming industries. “Together we can unlock the vast potential that Odisha holds and create an economically vibrant and socially inclusive future,” he said.

Minister for Skill Development and Technical Education Priti Ranjan Ghadai said the summit will help the youngsters find a way to get appropriate skills to stay ahead of others.

5T and Nabin Odisha chairman VK Pandian spoke on how the Chief Minister brought about massive transformation in the state. “The Chief Minister has transformed virtually every sector of theeconomy, empowered women and empowered the poorest man in the remotest village of the state,” he said.

Odisha Skill Development Authority chairperson Alaka Mishra and senior officers of the department were present.

More than 500 prominent personalities from different industries, over 100 distinguished speakers, policy makers, officials and experts associated with the field of skill development are attending the two-day summit.

The conference, organised with collaborative efforts of the Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and the department of Skill Development & Technical Education, will conclude on Tuesday.

The event assumes significance as Odisha has now come to be known as one of the major states in the country in terms of social, economic and investment. In this conference, ideas are being brainstormed on the future growth and employment opportunities of the youth in Odisha.
More than 10 motivational seminars will be organised during the two-day conference.

Principal Secretary of Skill Development and Technical Education department, Usha Padhi, Chairperson of OSDA and CEO of World Skill Centre Alka Mishra, Director of Directorate of Technical Education and Training Reghu G along with prominent personalities from the industry attended the inaugural session.

Over 500 industry leaders, CXOs, policymakers and other stakeholders will participate in the well-detailed agenda on the themes of growth and employment during the event being organised by Odisha Skill Development Authority (OSDA) and the Department of Skills & Technical Education. It has been conceptualized to cater to the dynamic industry landscape while fostering a future ready workforce.

The CM’s address at 4.30 pm will be preceded by a session, which will be addressed by Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary SDTE, OSDA chairperson, and SDTE minister.

Thereafter, MoUs will be signed with Tata Strive & ISB Hyderabad for CM Fellowship programme and IIT-Delhi for Centre of Excellence for Learning MoU with GMR Aero Academy for aviation related skilling. Similar agreements will also be inked with IIT-Chennai, OYO, Johnson Lifts, Microsoft Corporation, and Meesha.

Sources further said that NANO unicorn scheme will been launched as state sector scheme. The event will also see launch of Skilled-in-Odisha Internship programme and recruitment agency.

5T & Nabin Odisha chairman Kartik Pandian may also address the summit at around 4 pm on February 20, the sources added.