Sudakshya Scheme Employment Pilot Launched in Odisha to Empower Women Trainees

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken a significant step towards bridging the gap between technical education and formal employment for women by launching a diagnostic study and employment pilot under the Sudakshya Scheme.

The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the Udaiti Foundation.

Introduced in 2018, the Sudakshya Scheme has successfully boosted female enrollment in ITIs, polytechnics, and vocational institutions across the state.

However, despite higher participation, only a small fraction of women trainees have transitioned into formal jobs, highlighting systemic challenges in placement and retention.

To address this, a diagnostic study will be conducted between December 2025 and May 2026. The study will examine enrollment patterns, retention rates, placement outcomes, and institutional challenges.

It will involve visits to training centres, interviews with students, trainers, and industry partners, and a review of existing data. The findings will guide evidence-based recommendations to strengthen the scheme’s impact.

Alongside the study, an employment pilot will be rolled out using a flexi-staffing model. Under this arrangement, women trainees will be formally employed by staffing companies and deployed to client organisations.

This ensures access to statutory benefits such as Provident Fund, Employees’ State Insurance, and paid leave—helping women transition from informal work to secure, formal employment.

The government will facilitate institutional access and data sharing, while the Udaiti Foundation will bear the cost of the study and pilot.

Ruchika Mohanty, Programme Associate at Udaiti Foundation, has been designated as the coordinator for the initiative.

Officials believe the pilot could serve as a model for scaling up women’s employment opportunities in technical sectors, reinforcing Odisha’s commitment to inclusive growth and gender equity in the workforce.