NEC for formulation of regional skill development policy

DIPR
DIMAPUR, JUNE 25

THE North Eastern Council (NEC) held a meeting under the chairmanship of NEC member Prof. Ashoke K. Dutta at NEC Secretariat on June 24. The meeting was held with the purpose of providing inputs for formulating the Regional Development Plan for Skill Development and Training of the youth from Northeastern states.
NEC plans to involve the agencies working in the field of skill development for employment and self employment and coaching for entrance exams in engineering, medical, law, etc, as well as for jobs in government like UPSC, SSC, CPO, Banks, Public Sector Undertakings and other private sector organizations.
Imparting training for this purpose would be done by inviting expression of interest. This initiative will provide the advantage to the youth of the North Eastern States to upgrade their skills and open opportunities for gainful employment and social upliftment.
The meeting was attended by Ameising Luikham, secretary NEC, NEC officials and officials from the state governments, Kaziranga University, Sahaj-E-Village Ltd, NEITCO, SICB of Sikkim, Don Bosco technical School-Guwahati, NIELIT, NERLP, NERCOMP, NSIC, SIRD-Assam, NIRD-Guwahati, NSE, IHM-Shillong and other private sector training institutes.
Discussing the NEC’s strategy, Ameising Luikham, Secretary NEC highlighted the various aspects on the issue of skill development and the need for various kinds of training programmes which include the Skill Development Initiative Scheme of the Ministry of Labour and stressed the need for review of the various courses in ITIs, introduction of new courses, upgrade existing infrastructure and machineries, etc, with special focus on job availability within the region and also outside the region.
The need to strengthen the institutional mechanism for skill development in states on the lines of the Sikkim Institute of Capacity Building, which also covers trades for persons with Class-V qualifications was also discussed and stressed upon for other states to replicate the same model.
Ashoke K. Dutta, member NEC urged the state governments to provide their state specific inputs and suggestions to the NEC for incorporation into the overall design for the regional plan for skill development.
He also emphasised the need to have Incubation Centres within the ITIs and to have partnerships with other agencies like NSIC for promotion of entrepreneurship. This will facilitate availing of loans for setting up of units that will further facilitate the employment generation within the region.
Luikham felt that there is a need to consider having special programmes like Udaan which was done by the Ministry of Home Affairs for the state of Jammu & Kashmir for the unemployed educated youths through the NSDC. This idea was also supported by the partner states for such a programme for NE region.