Team NSN’s visit to India’s first World Skill Centre, Bhubaneswar

In today’s hyper-competitive world, formal education is no longer sufficient to the demands of the future of work. It necessitates a workforce that is industry-ready and has industry-relevant skills. What could be better, in the face of rising demand for skilled workers, than a world-class infrastructure that can meet all of the skilling needs of ITI and Polytechnic students, preparing them for the competitive world ahead?

To cater to the skill development needs of the youth and to change the face of the skilling ecosystem, the Government of Odisha established a one-of-its-kind World Skill Centre (WSC) with an immersive, experiential learning environment combined with exposure to global industry.

To understand the vision and to gain a first-hand experience of the world-class infrastructure, Team NSN visited India’s very first World Skill Centre, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The visit to the centre was facilitated by Ms Sanjogita Mishra, Senior Manager – Special Projects (Odisha State), Tata STRIVE. Read on to know more.

A glimpse of the World Skill Centre, Bhubaneswar

The experience of visiting the world skills centre was simply out of this world. The 18-storey building standing proudly in half a million square feet of space in the heart of the capital city of Bhubaneswar is well-equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for advanced training and provides exposure to big international names in the industry.

We met with Mr. Subhasis Das, Deputy Director, World Skill Centre (WSC) who briefed us about the facilities and the agenda behind the establishment of the lavish training centre. After our brief interaction with him, we visited each of their labs to interact with the trainers and the students. Mr. Jyotirmaya Panda, Trainer, Mechanical and Electrical Services lab was kind enough to become our guide of the day.

World Skill Centre labs: A walk through

The three courses that are currently being offered for the year 2021-22 are Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR), Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES) and Mechatronics. Each floor on the 18-storey building is dedicated to a certain course. 

Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR)

Our first stop was the second floor which has all the labs and classes for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) course. We visited their Commercial Refrigeration lab, Electrical Services Lab and Air Conditioning Distribution lab. All the labs have industry-standard equipment for the better training of the students. We interacted with one of the trainers Mr. Manas who explained to us about the training process in their Commercial Refrigeration Lab where the students learn about the operation and maintenance of refrigerators and cold rooms. 

The lab is well equipped with machineries used for residential as well as commercial purposes to provide the students with real-time training and knowledge. In their Air Conditioning Distribution Lab, the trainer Mr. Pratap showed us around and briefed us about the operation and maintenance of machineries used in the distribution of air conditioning.

Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES)

After the ACR lab, we visited the floor which is dedicated to Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES) labs.  We stopped over at the Fire Detection and Protection Systems lab, Pneumatics lab and Electrical Services lab to learn more about the training equipment. The enthusiastic trainer showed us around the lab and explained to us about the equipment and their functionalities in detail keeping in mind that we were very new to all the processes.  

Being a trainer of MES himself, Mr Jyotirmaya explained to us about the need for skilled professionals in Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES) for installation and maintenance operations in today’s technologically advanced world. “Skilling is crucial for sustainability. And the students from ITIs and Polytechnic colleges have the basic skills. Here, in this centre, we help them polish their skills and make them ready for international employment” said Mr. Jyotirmaya, Trainer, MES

Next, we visited the Fire Detection and Protection Systems Lab, which is part of the Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES) modules, because fire safety is vitally important. The trainers were in the middle of a training session in which they were brushing up on their understanding of one-way communication systems. The lab instructs students on how to operate and maintain machines. Mr. Sambit, a module trainer, guided us through the lab while explaining several machineries such as the fire alarm system, wet riser system, dry riser system, and communication system (one-way and two-way).

After the Fire Detection and Protection Systems lab, we visited the Electrical Services lab for the students of the Mechanical and Electrical Services (MES) course. The students were divided into groups where they were working on their projects. The groups were well balanced with students from different parts of the state to help them improve their teamwork and communication skills. We interacted with a group of students who shared their excitement about being a part of the WSC.

Mechatronics

After visiting the Pneumatics Lab, where we interacted with the trainers and the students, we went to the Automation and Basic Robotics Lab which is a part of the Mechatronics course. We were fascinated by the industrial robots which are used to train the students. Mr Sudhanshu, the trainer of the lab, briefed us about the functionalities of the machines. He said that the equipment is used to teach the students how to operate a robot both manually and through coding.

Apart from international standard labs, the skill centre also has all the facilities for the students such as libraries, cafeterias, indoor games and recreation centres to help them improve their life skills alongside their technical skills.

WSC is being built as part of the Asian Development Bank-funded Odisha Skill Development Project, with ITE Education Services (ITEES) of Singapore serving as a knowledge partner. The centre acts as a Finishing School for the best ITI and Polytechnic students, as well as a resource centre for ITI and Polytechnic teachers.

“Government is intensely investing in the future of youth by creating infrastructure and mechanisms for making them future-ready. Our aim is to meet their aspirations, to make them globally employable”, said the Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik during the inauguration ceremony.

The World Skill Centre will play a vital role in developing a pool of future-ready workers by providing advanced skill training to our youth and preparing them to compete on a global scale.

Also read: Odisha CM inaugurates India’s first World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/odisha-cm-inaugurates-indias-first-world-skill-centre-in-bhubaneswar/

In terms of the vision and implementation, WSC is indeed a milestone that adds a new chapter to the skilling ecosystem of Odisha.