President of India lays foundation stone for L&T Skill Training Hub in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj

Mumbai: The Honourable President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, today laid the foundation stone for L&T Skill Training Hub at her hometown Pahadpur in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district. The event was attended by Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Honourable Governor of Odisha,  Mrs Meena Subrahmanyan, President of Prayas Trust, an L&T-funded non-profit organisation, along with senior officials of L&T and the Odisha-based non-profit SLS Trust.

L&T has partnered with SLS Trust to establish the Skill Training Hub on five acres land for providing underprivileged youth from the region training in construction skills, and in turn, make them self-reliant.

The Skill Training Hub will encompass an administrative-cum-institute building, multipurpose hall, e-learning hall, digital training room, separate hostels of 120 each for boys and girls, dining halls, four practice yards for masonry, bar bending, plumbing and scaffolding trades, and a dedicated workshop for practicing pipe welding.

As per the provisions of an MoU signed with SLS Trust, L&T will establish and run the Skill Training Hub for five years, and after this it will be taken over by SLS Trust. The handing over process will start in the fourth year.

Commenting on the initiative, Mrs Meena Subrahmanyan, President of Prayas Trust, an L&T-funded non-profit organisation said: "I am honoured to be present on this momentous occasion with the Honourable President of India. The Skill Training Hub is a great initiative towards skilling the youth of this remote region and we are confident that it will have a positive impact on their lives. We thank the Honourable President and all the government officials for their support in setting off this noble project.”

Complementing her comment, Mrs Mabel Abraham, Joint General Manager - Corporate Social Initiatives, L&T, said: "We are committed to skilling the youth of India, and the Skill Training Hub at Pahadpur is a testament to that commitment. With L&T's expertise in skilling, we are confident that the Hub will serve as a centre of excellence for learning, providing quality education and placement opportunities to the youth of this region."

Training programmes at the Skill Training Hub will focus on masonry, bar bending, scaffolding, plumbing, pipe welding, and digital skills. Funded by L&T under its CSR initiatives, the project will cost around Rs 15 crore, which includes the operational expenses for four years.