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PB Acharya and NECU’s vice chancellor Prof. Dr. Darlando Khathing, during the regional seminar at Kohima Science College at Jotsoma in Kohima on April 30.[/caption]
Kohima Bureau
Jotsoma, April 30 (EMN): The coordinator of local capacity building group the Entrepreneurs Associates Neichute Doulo has challenged the youths of Nagaland to seek employment beyond government sector jobs. Saying that the government sector was already at a point of saturation, Doulo advised the youths not to depend only on government jobs but look beyond to and by creating opportunities.
“Your opportunity may be beyond government jobs. So upgrade your skills in the field you are interest at and face the challenges that comes your way,” Doulo said during an address to a regional seminar which was conducted about the topic “Natural resources, skill manpower and development of northeast.” The event was conducted on April 30 at the Kohima Science College at Jotsoma, near Kohima.
Doulo emphasised on developing their English language skills. He called it an important area that Naga youths can exploit to find employment. Claiming that the Naga people have ‘good command over English language,’ he challenged the students to seize the opportunity as there was a demand for English teachers in many South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, South Korea, China, Japan, and Singapore.
Doulo, a recipient of Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2016, also emphasized on the construction sector as one area that would be able to employ a large section of the Naga youths.
“We should not underestimate the Naga construction workers. What is needed is they need to be skilled in a better way,” Doulo said. He was of the opinion that many Naga youths, of late, were getting engaged in construction and carpentry works. The speaker has served as lecturer of economics at Baptist College. He highlighted the opportunities that can be availed by the youth by even becoming a ‘folk song teacher’ not to mention even find employment as a driver. He also stressed on the possibilities of becoming fruit farmers and a Mithun ‘farmer.’ He pointed out that skill development needs to evolve with the needs of the market and emerging gaps in skilled human resource.
Earlier, delivering the keynote address, Dr. I Anungla Aier, additional director of department of higher education, underscored the need for a concerted effort from the community, government and the academia to partner in meaningful ways to evolve workable strategies to deal with the complex and multi-layered issues of employability, job creation, livelihood, development and environment concerns.
“Development needs continuous and relentless hard work, single-minded devotion, proper education and above all, the right skill sets and diligence of the concerned parties in an economy. We talk about sustainable development but without skill, manpower and adequate training of human resources, it becomes only rhetoric,” Aier said adding “For developing our society and economy in the right direction without harming the environment and to maximise the economic dividend of our natural resources, we need to invest in skill development of the workforce.”
With the right skill courses, Aier felt that the Naga youth, particularly the students, will have the ability to convert many of the natural resources which are lying dormant or underused or being wasted for want of value addition and marketability to be utilised productively.
She added saying “To overcome the challenge of getting skilled professionals, it is therefore, important to generate manpower with the right skill sets.”
“The education sector, especially the higher and technical education sector, needs to rethink the system and the government must take cognizance of the crucial role it plays in generating skill manpower which is the need of the hour for all round development of the society,” Aier remarked.
“Skill based courses require funds. It does not make sense to encourage skill development courses without financial support,” she added.
“The Northeast is a resource rich region. As the corridor that connects South Asia with South-East Asia, it houses a complex of resources both in terms of the population composition, and the natural resources of the region. What is missing is the right skill sets to harness it sustainably and viably and apply skilfully and scientifically to ensure development to take place in the rightful direction,” Aier asserted.
Nagaland state Governor PB Acharya, and Prof. Dr. Darlando Khathing, vice chancellor of the North East Christian University, among others, attended the event.