OSEPA orders all Odisha districts to expedite deployment of vocational trainers in new schools

The Odisha School Education Programme Authority (OSEPA) has issued a time-bound directive to all districts, instructing them to immediately complete the deployment of Vocational Trainers (VTs) for the 2025–26 academic year.

The move comes after the authority observed that several prominent schools in the state are already teaching vocational education as a third language, but still lack assigned Vocational Training Providers (VTPs) and trained instructors.

Vocational Trainers Not Deployed

Reports stated that while vocational subjects have been introduced in multiple schools as a third-language offering, the corresponding teaching infrastructure has not been put in place. According to OSEPA, many of these schools are functioning without vocational trainers, creating a mismatch between curriculum rollout and actual teaching capacity.

OSEPA is verifying submissions of VTPs and has begun sharing school-wise deployment lists with districts and VTPs through email. Verified lists for the remaining schools are to be circulated shortly.

Districts Told to Begin Immediate Joining

In its directive, OSEPA has asked District Education Officers (DEO-cum-DPCs) to carry out immediate verification of the approved candidate lists forwarded by the authority. District officials have been told to coordinate directly with VTPs to ensure there is no gap between verification and joining.

OSEPA added that districts must certify that trainers have been placed in each newly selected school before the start of the 2025–26 academic cycle.

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Principals Asked to Check Original Documents

The directive also includes clear instructions for school heads. Principals and headmasters must verify the original documents of each vocational trainer at the time of arrival. They must also scrutinise the engagement orders issued by the concerned VTPs.

The directive noted that the matter is of “high priority” and is monitored by the guidelines of the Orissa High Court. As such, all districts must complete verification, joining, and reporting within strict timelines.