Vedanta Aluminum Establishes It’s Second ‘VeDakshata’ Skills Training Centre in Odisha
Empowering local youth through skill development initiatives
Bhubaneswar, Odisha; 24thJanuary 2025:Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has established a new skills training centre, ‘VeDakshata’, at Patrapali in Kolabira block, Jharsuguda district, Odisha. The training centre aims to empower underprivileged youth from Jharsuguda and nearby regions through placement-linked skill development programs. The centre was inaugurated by Mr. Manas Kumar, District Employment Officer, Jharsuguda, in the presence of other distinguished guests and community members.
Vedanta Aluminium has partnered with Gram Tarang and the Government of Odisha to drive this transformative initiative. The centre offers employment relevant skill training courses in smartphone repairing and food &beverage service. Over the next three years, the project aims to skill 500 rural youth, creating pathways for sustainable livelihoods. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a multipurpose hall, digital training rooms, trade-specific training spaces, and separate hostel facilities for boys and girls.
‘VeDakshata’ has already garnered a strong response from the community. This latest initiative builds on the foundation laid by the first ‘VeDakshata’ centre established in December 2024 at Bileimunda, Sundargarh district. The Bileimunda centre has successfully trained over 100 students in its inaugural batch on sewing machine operation, electrical maintenance, and food and beverage service.
Speaking on this initiative, Sunil Gupta, COO, Vedanta Aluminium, said,“At Vedanta Aluminium, we are committed to nurturing the aspirations of the youth in the communities around our operations. The ‘VeDakshata’ skills training centre represents our dedication to equipping them with relevant skills to secure sustainable livelihoods. By bridging the gap between talent and opportunity, we aim to foster inclusive growth and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic development of Jharsuguda.”
Underscoring the importance of this initiative, Mr. Manas Kumar, District Employment Officer, Jharsuguda, said, “VeDakshata’ is a commendable step towards empowering the youth of this region. I applaud Vedanta Aluminium for this impactful initiative, which equips young people with practical skills and facilitates access to career opportunities across the country. This centre will play a vital role in driving employment and economic progress in the district.”
Vedanta’s social interventions in the domains of education, healthcare, livelihood, skill development, grassroots sports, art & culture, with a focus on women and child development, reach out to nearly 80 villages in Jharsuguda and nearby areas, benefiting over 3 lakh people in a year. It empowers almost 5,000 women from over 350 SHGs, provides doorstep healthcare services to about 50,000 people annually, gives educational support to more than 13,000 students, has planted almost 1.50 lakh trees in partnership with locals at the community level.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY23. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
