IMFA Pumps Rs. 12 Cr In Metals Training Centre

BIPF, the social arm of metals major IMFA, today laid the first brick of what will be instituted as Industrial Training Centre (ITC) for skill and development in the Sukinda Valley, home to the bulk of country’s chrome ore reserve, in the Jajpur district of Odisha. The main objective of ITC is to empower the youth of the state with particular focus to the local unemployed youths through technical training and education in different skills.

Sukinda MLA Mr Priti Ranjan Gharai was present during the foundation ceremony.

The training center which will be operational in 2015 will begin with  imparting three types of skill trainings mainly that of fitter, electrician and welding trainings as per National Council of Vocational Training guidelines  and will eventually evolve to impart short term duration course in other skill areas like data entry operations, heavy vehicle maintenance, mining machinery maintenance and other construction skills. The training center will gradually expand to give a mixed output of 970 students within a span of five years.

IMFA has a plan to invest approximately Rs. 12 crores in the Industrial Training Centre which aims to evolve as one of the few centers of excellence imparting quality training by reputed technical training providers of the country.  BIPF is already successfully operating an ITC at Therubali which was set up by IMFA twenty years before.

Government of Odisha has planned to open various ITCs in across the state in partnership with corporates and this quality residential training center is an outcome of the plan where IMFA has joined.

Commenting on the occasion Shaifalika Panda, Trustee and CEO of BIPF said “India has the world’s largest youth workforce and skill development is a significant  challenge.  This ITC is a step towards reducing the disconnect between the demand for and supply of skilled manpower.  Ours being the first ITC in Sukinda,  will give the local youth the much needed opportunity to acquire the required skill sets to get employment either locally or elsewhere.  It will also help them start their own service ventures to meet social demands.”

The Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) the social arm of IMFA was set up with a mission of enabling lives of the marginalized groups through sustainable and scalable initiatives. The foundation works in the verticals of Education, Water & Sanitation, Skill Development, and Women & Children with specific focus on preventive health.