Catalyzing Skill Development in Balasore, Odisha 

• Balasore constituency, Odisha is represented by Mr. Rabindra Kumar Jena in the Lok Sabha. It is spread across 7 local assembly constituencies which are Badshahi, Jaleswar, Bhograi, Basta, Balasore, Remuna and Nilgiri. Badshahi lies in Mayurbanj district whereas as the other six assembly constituencies belong to Balsore district.
• The Balasore region despite the high literacy rates (79.9 %) lacks a healthy skill infrastructure. This harms the workforce in the region, especially because Balaosore has immense potential for growth especially in the MSME , horticulture and pisciculture sectors.
• In our engagement with Mr. Jena, we were asked to conduct a comprehensive study of the skill training providers in the region including both government and private training providers. We also identified the strengths and weaknesses of the vocational education ecosystem in Balasore and suggest reforms which could aid the youth population of Balasore.