Nagaland launches ‘Launchpad’ to help fight unemployment among youth

Advisor for YRS says Nagaland has highest rate of unemployment in India at 21.4%

Our Correspondent
Kohima, Aug. 18 (EMN): The advisor for Youth Resources and Sports (YRS) Zale Neikha on Tuesday stated that lack of proper guidance at an early stage is one of the leading causes of unemployment among the youth in Nagaland.

Citing the report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI), government of India (GoI), the advisor said that Nagaland has the highest rate of unemployment in India at 21.4%.

He stated this during the launch of ‘Launchpad’, a career guidance and employability skills development programme for students pursuing class 12 in all government higher secondary schools across Nagaland, at YouthNet main office in Kohima.

Launchpad is an initiative of the department of YRS in partnership with YouthNet and supported by the department of School Education.

Neikha maintained that the department of YRS, since 1986, has been focusing on uplifting the youth in the state.

“Youth development is a multi-faceted concept, and the progress of our state depends on the way through which the youth are to be encouraged, nurtured towards nation-building activities, and economic progress,” he said.

The advisor said that the department emphasises in not only the fields of sport and music but also other youth-centric activities.

He asserted that the new venture of the department with YouthNet through the programme will ‘impact the students as they will be given the opportunity to discover themselves, where their strength lies, and be exposed further to job fairs and melas’.

He shared that the department’s ambition of bringing about positive changes in the life of the youth in Nagaland, ‘which is the need of the hour’, will be accomplished with YouthNet coming into play.

Meanwhile, the principal director of School Education, Shanavas C, stated that the programme will benefit around 4,000 students studying in class 12 across various government higher secondary schools in the state.

He observed that the youth generally delay in making decisions involving their career and skill developments after graduation. He said imparting the Launchpad programmes to the targeted students is a ‘right move for the students’.

 “We have to move ahead because the world is moving ahead,” the official added.

Meanwhile, the commissioner and secretary of YRS, Alun Hangsing, speaking on behalf of the department, expressed hope that it will help the youth in personal edification and intellectual development, stating that the Launchpad programme was developed ‘scientifically and futuristically’.

The director of programmes at YouthNet, Nuneseno Chase, while presenting an overview of Launchpad, said that the objective of the initiative is to guide students to ‘discover their ideal career path, enable them to look beyond traditional jobs and assist the students’ transition from school to work.’

She stated that the programme will impact 44 government higher secondary schools across the 12 districts of Nagaland and create career awareness, and help students make informed decisions about their future.

Chase informed that ‘the modules have been specially designed to help students effectively utilise their time during the lockdown and beyond in developing their soft skills, motivate them to pursue higher education, encourage them to explore avenues based on their abilities and interests’.

The programme can be accessed on the official website of Launchpad Nagaland.