Patna: A new partnership between the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and the Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) aims to expand employment-linked training opportunities for young people in Bihar, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A Memorandum of Agreement signed in Patna on Monday will see IRFC provide Rs 10 crore in CSR funding to support advanced skill development programmes delivered through the BIPARD Skill Park. The initiative will offer training in high-demand fields such as SAP ERP and CCNA networking, alongside foreign language and communication modules designed to improve international placement prospects.
The Skill Park, located at the WALMI campus in Patna, currently offers six industry-oriented courses including SAP certification, CCNA networking, fashion design, geriatric caregiving, and professional culinary courses. Launched on April 14, 2025 it has so far enrolled 585 candidates, of whom 515 have completed their training and 98 have secured jobs. The academic building was inaugurated on May 1, followed by a national skill meet attended by NITI Aayog chief executive, B V R Subrahmanyam, who interacted with trainees and reviewed the training facilities.
The centre offers modern classrooms, specialised labs, SAP-certified servers, residential accommodation and meals at no cost to the trainees. The programme includes AI and data analytics modules, soft skills training and guaranteed support for job opportunities.
Senior officials from both institutions said the collaboration is intended to build a future-ready workforce and help Bihar strengthen its human capital by 2047. They highlighted the role of targeted training in bridging existing skill gaps that hinder employment participation.
BIPARD’s director general, Dr B Rajender, said the contribution from IRFC would help expand the Skill Park’s reach. “This support will significantly enhance training capacity, strengthen placement outcomes, and enable more young people across Bihar to participate in industry-standard courses,” he said.
IRFC, a Navratna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, said the project aligns with its CSR priorities in education and skill development.
The Skill Park is the first of its kind in Bihar, offering globally recognised certification, specialised learning infrastructure and placement assistance guaranteeing at least three job opportunities for each trainee.
