The State-level India Skills Kerala 2020 which concluded here on Monday, won high appreciation with World Skills India project manager Ashish Malhotra terming the three-day event “very structured and planned”.
It was an eye-opener for other States which aspired to make a mark in the skill development competitions, he said at the India Skills Kerala venue at Swapna Nagari in this city. India Skills Kerala 2020 was jointly organised by the Industrial Training Department (ITD) and Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE), both under the State Labour and Skills Department. The prize-winning contestants will get an opportunity to participate in the national competitions, where the winners will get a chance to represent the country at World Skills 2021 in Shanghai, China.
A. Pradeepkumar, MLA, who is also the chairman of the organising committee, announced the winners in 39 categories. S. Chandrasekhar, Director, ITD and MD, KASE, and M.R. Anoop, COO, KASE, were also present.
Odisha Skill Development Authority general manager Sanjay Pandhi who was at the competition venues on Monday, said that the holding of the event in February gave Kerala’s participants certain advantage ahead of the zonal-level competitions of the national round this summer.
Dipak S. Desai, Director, Directorate of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Goa, hailed India Skills Kerala as “one of the best competitions” he had seen. Officials were here to take the best practices from here as Goa was organising the event for the first time soon.
T.P. Ramakrishnan, Minister for Labour and Skills, who was present, announced that the South zone competition of India Skills will be conducted in Kerala.
He also expressed optimism that the national level competitions too would be held in the State.
Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran inaugurated the valedictory session. District Collector Seeram Sambasiva Rao was also present.
