Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, May 9 (EMN): Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Viks Yojana, department of employment, skill development and entrepreneurship has set a target to train 33021 youth in various vocations by 2020.
As per the annual administrative report for 2017-18, budget allocation for department of employment, skill development and entrepreneurship was INR 2283.56 lakhs including INR 75 lakhs for state plan, INR 50 lakhs for state earmarked programme and INR 1951.74 lakhs for state non-plan.
The department works with two wings- employment wing and skill development and entrepreneurship wing. The report stated that there was 11,894 fresh applicants (during 2017) registered at various employment exchanges for job assistance and 69, 253 applicants on the live register (as on December 31 2017).
“In the Self Employment Promotion Cell (SEPC), which is in the regional employment exchange, Kohima, a total of 546 candidates were registered out of which 177 were placed in various self employment ventures during the current financial year. A special cell for physically handicapped applicants established with central assistance has been merged with the regional employment exchange, Kohima, and at present there are 1115 applicants on the live register of employment exchanges under the physically handicapped category,” the report stated.
Under the skill development and entrepreneurship wing, there are eight Industrial Training Institutes (ITI)- government ITI Kohima, ITI Dimapur (women), Mon, Wokha, Mokokchung, Tuensang, Phek and Zunheboto imparting training in 22 trades (14 engineering and 8 non-engineering) with a training period of one to two years. According to the report, till date, 8125 trainees have passed the All India Trade Test (AITT) and currently 825 candidates have been enrolled for undergoing training.
Two new ITI in Dimapur and Peren are presently under construction and proposal for establishment of two new ITI in Longleng and Kiphire is under submission. The department is implementing the National Career Service (NCS) keeping in tune with the central government’s initiation in transforming the existing employment exchanges to model career centres.
Regional Kohima is being transformed to a model career centre and proposal for establishment of model career centres at district employment exchange in Wokha and Mokokchung are under submission, the reports stated on the ongoing activities.
With the declaration of “Year of construction workers,” the department, as the nodal department, has upgraded the skills of 550 existing construction workers (50 from each district).
“In order to develop a holistic and actionable state skill and employment policy for Nagaland, ‘Aspirations and opportunity mapping study’ covering 74 blocks in 11 districts was undertaken involving youths, village councils, women folk, church and district administration to participate in the selection of the priorities to be pursued in their local area which would bring out an informed study on the needs and aspirations of the local population”, highlighted the administrative report.
