Duda offers youths skills for enterprise

Our Correspondent
Kohima, June 27 (EMN): A training programme was conducted for underprivileged youths to empower them in entrepreneurship and self-employment in the backward districts of Nagaland. The training was initiated by the department of Underdeveloped Areas (Duda) for 54 youths from the previous two months.
In the valedictory programme held at NIELIT Kohima, on June 2, the advisor for Duda N Bonkhao Konyak said “unemployment is not only an area of concern in Nagaland but it is also a challenging issue in India.”

“It is important to restructure the livelihood activities with various skills based trainings and ensure that the unemployed youths are engaged in gainful employment,” he said.

According to 2011 Census, 52.7 percent of the workforce in Nagaland is engaged in Agricultural Sector and 47.3 percent in secondary and tertiary Sectors. The census also pointed out that 81.1% of the workforce in Eastern Nagaland is engaged in Agricultural Sector while only 18.9% in Secondary and Tertiary Sectors.

Therefore, he felt that the only window of opportunity is to boost the entrepreneurial activities and streamline the job roles according to the training and skill one has received through capacity building programmes. He hopes that such initiative will go a long way in providing livelihood solution.

He also informed that Duda in partnership with NIELIT has set up four computer Centres in Tuensang, Mon, Longleng, and Kiphire district headquarters with latest equipment and teaching facilities.

It aimed at providing training to 1280 youths of Eastern Nagaland. By far, over 1407 youths were trained, he added.
Further, he encouraged the trainees them to open up their small units, back home and inspire others. The trainees were given with certificate, tools, and equipment along with the seed money provided by the department.

Dean of Kohima Exotic School of Cooking, Kevitsu Doze in his short speech said holding educational degrees alone is not enough as the employability level is low. The gap skill development is the need of the hour as it has vast scope even for self employment according to him.

Director of NIELIT Kohima, Lanuwabang introduced e-Notice android mobile app which would help to reduce use of paper. The app was created by NIELIT Kohima and will pass on to all the government departments, he added.

Out of 54 trainees, 30 were male and 24 females. The male were trained on repair and maintenance of power supply, inverter, and UPS conducted by conducted by National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) Kohima. Meanwhile, females get to learned culinary skills including baking, confectioneries, dessert making and cooking skills by Kohima Exotic School of Cooking.