Bhubaneswar: The district administrations of Sambalpur and Ganjam have identified land for the establishment of the state’s third and fourth World Skill Centre (WSC) campuses. The proposed centres are expected to replicate the model of the existing World Skill Centre in Bhubaneswar, which offers industry-oriented technical training in collaboration with leading national and international industry partners.According to the skill development and technical education (SD&TE) department, the new campuses will come up at Badsinghari under Sadar tehsil in Sambalpur district and Laudigaon under Konisi tehsil in Ganjam. In Sambalpur, the district administration has identified around 15 acres at Badsinghari. Since the land is currently recorded in the name of the fisheries and animal resources development department, the Sambalpur collector has been asked to initiate the process of transferring it to the SD&TE department.The Berhampur campus will be developed on a 40-acre site at Laudigaon mouza in Konisi tehsil. Officials said the site was selected over other shortlisted locations because of its adequate land availability, proximity to Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Berhampur, and its location close to the sea coast.According to officials, the coastal location will support the introduction of specialised courses such as marine engineering and hospitality, while the academic ecosystem around IISER is expected to foster institutional collaboration and enhance the quality of skill training.A WSC campus is already operational in Bhubaneswar, while the govt has signed an MoU with Singapore-based ITE Education Services for establishing and managing the second campus in the city.The expansion follows the state govt’s decision to replicate the World Skill Centre model in other regions of Odisha. Officials said the new campuses will benefit students from western and southern Odisha by bringing industry-oriented training closer to them and reducing their dependence on the Bhubaneswar campus.
