With an aim to bridge existing gaps between skilled labour force and industry needs and boost demand-driven, high-quality skill training and vocational education at regional level, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister for Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship laid the foundation stone for National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) Plus in Bhubaneswar on Friday.
The minister is optimistic that NSTI will emerge as modern day Gurukul.
NSTI Plus, under the Directorate General of Training, apex organisaation of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship will train 500 instructors in Phase-1 under the Craftsmen Instructor Training Scheme and will further incorporate another 500 instructors for upskilling and reskilling.
Modern Gurukul
Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared glimpses from the ceremony on his social media page and wrote, “Laid the foundation stone for National Skill Training Institute at Jatni, Bhubaneswar under the #NSTIPlus initiative. The upcoming state-of-the-art integrated campus of NSTI will empower the youth of #NewIndia by providing them with cutting-edge skills and knowledge required to excel in the 21st century, encourage entrepreneurship, equip master trainers with expertise aligned with current and future industry demands and help realise the vision of Viksit Bharat.”
In a separate post, the minister announced, “NSTI will emerge as a modern gurukul to equip candidates as well as trainers with industry and future-ready skills.”
NSTI Plus features
Minister Pradhan announced that the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship is introducing several fresh and innovative initiatives and NSTI Plus is a robust step in this direction, enabling the State of Odisha to harness the potential of its youth. Constructed on a 7.8-acre campus of Jatni, Bhubaneswar, NSTI Plus will not only accommodate institutions like National Institute of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Skill India International Centre (SIIC), but also emerge as a potential hub for diverse skill development activities.
NSTI Plus will also serve as a nucleus for emerging start-ups, an incubation centre, and a versatile hub for cultivating various skills. It also has the potential to serve as a prototype training facility for other states. Furthermore, educators play an immense role in moulding the future of youth and institutions like NSTI Plus has potential to unlock horizon of opportunities to instil soft skills, impart hands-on-training on new technologies and foster effective learning environment.
NSTIs will also take on the role of capacity-building centres for educators in schools. The selection of courses and training programs will be meticulously designed in association with industries to meet the needs of the local community. To fuel further growth, collaborative efforts will be made to develop an integrated 4.0 campus for entrepreneurs with modern new-age skills.
Another advantage is the strategic location of the institute. Surrounded by premium institutions like National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Skill Development Institute (SDI), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) is expected to help in improving the engagement of students with vocational training institute.
By offering specialised training programmes, the mega-hub institute is expected to unlock the potential of youth across diverse domains; including Engineers, supervisors, technicians, executives, and faculty members of educational institutions that caters to the needs of both national and international markets.
On the completion of the training, the ministry will provide certificates to students in collaboration with IGNOU, NIOS and NIESBUD to propel vertical and horizontal mobility of the candidates.
