A United Kingdom (UK) Education and Skills team has expressed its intention to further strengthen the economic links between the UK and Odisha and promote business opportunities.
The 10-member delegation of UK Education and Skills is now on a visit to the State. It held an interactive business session with the Odisha Skill Development Authority and senior officials of the State Government here on Tuesday.
The team showcased their operations and how their products and services can help Odisha bridge the skills gap and drive the economy forward.
Odisha Skill Development Authority Chairman Subroto Bagchi, Department of Skill Development and Technical Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh and State Skill Mission Director Rajesh Prabhakar Patil were among the State’s representatives present to interact with the UK companies.
The delegation’s visit titled the ‘UK Skills Caravan’ is in response to the State Government’s request for information and knowledge about UK expertise in the area of English language skills for primary, ITI and diploma-level students.
The State Government also sought interaction with UK vocational and technical skill providers, especially in areas like healthcare, electrical, and building infrastructure. An area of particular interest for Odisha is ‘training the trainer’ programmes to accelerate skills training.
British Deputy High Commissioner to Eastern India Bruce Bucknell said the relationship between Odisha and the UK is already strong, but there is scope to make it even stronger. The UK Skills Caravan is an ideal example of how UK expertise and proven service delivery can play a catalytic role in this vital area.
“UK vocational skills and training providers have over a hundred years of experience in delivering world-class skills to people around the globe. The UK has the capacity to deliver at scale-delivering skills to over 3 million learners a year in the UK alone and to countless more around the globe,” he said.
Mentioning that developing a more skilled workforce is critical to India’s future development, Bucknell said he is proud that India is already host to many of the UK’s most experienced and innovative skill development providers.
He was hopeful that the visiting UK companies would find business partners and commercial opportunities in Odisha.
Apart from the interaction with the State Government officials, the UK companies held focussed meetings with Odisha-based companies looking for education and skills partnerships.