Odisha Plans Skill Push as CM Projects 20 Lakh Jobs in Five Years

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday announced an expanded skill development drive for the state’s youth, saying around 20 lakh employment opportunities are expected to be generated over the next five years.

Speaking at the 80th Independence Day celebrations in Bhubaneswar, Majhi described Gen-Z as the country’s future and said equipping young people with industry-oriented skills would be crucial to addressing the employment challenge.

The Chief Minister said nearly three lakh jobs could be created in Odisha within the next one to two years, with the figure expected to reach 20 lakh over five years.

He said the government is aligning its skill development programmes with the changing requirements of industries and emerging sectors to ensure that young people are prepared to take advantage of these opportunities.

Three more World Skill Centres

Highlighting the state’s existing skill development initiatives, Majhi said Odisha is providing specialised training to young people at the World Skill Center in collaboration with Singapore.

He announced plans to establish three additional World Skill Center facilities in the state to expand access to advanced vocational training.

Majhi also said Odisha’s skill development model has been recognised among the country’s leading practices in the Best Practices Survey.

Under the Excellence ITI programme, aimed at upgrading industrial training institutes, Centres of Excellence are being developed in 25 ITIs. Artificial Intelligence laboratories are also being established in 13 ITIs, he said.

Odisha named National Skill Champion

The Chief Minister highlighted Odisha’s performance at India Skills 2025-26, saying the state emerged as the National Skill Champion.

According to Majhi, Odisha’s participants won 57 medals across different skill categories.

He described the achievement as evidence of the potential of the state’s young workforce and said the government would continue strengthening opportunities for skill development.

CM cautions youth against misinformation

Majhi also urged young people to remain alert to what he described as attempts by forces within and outside the country to mislead them.

He said certain groups were targeting the youth because of their potential role in shaping India’s future.

Reiterating the government’s focus on employment-oriented training, the Chief Minister said the objective is to prepare Odisha’s Gen-Z with skills suited to current and emerging industries so they can benefit from the employment opportunities expected to come up across the state.