Meet lays stress on training
Telegraph Calcutta
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Guwahati, Jan. 23: The National Skill Development Corporation today said youths of the region need to be given the opportunity to develop skills for employment to stop migration in search of jobs.
At a conclave on skill development in the Northeast here today, the corporation pointed out that between 2011 and 2021 over 14 million people would be potentially available for migration.
The region will generate employment for 2.6 million persons while the supply of human resources will be 16.8 million, leaving an excess supply of 14.2 million persons.
“This necessitates the need for skill intervention to focus on development opportunities to create local demand,” said Dilip Chenoy, the CEO and managing director of the NSDC, a public-private partnership created by the ministry of finance.
In 2007-08, about 3,75,311 persons migrated from the Northeast to other states, the majority of whom were from Assam, followed by Sikkim and Tripura.
The last decade registered the largest migration from the region for jobs and higher education.
“Our interaction with the industry reveals that only five per cent of the people who go out for higher studies, return to the Northeast,” Chenoy said.
Confirming the need for skill development, labour and employment minister Prithibi Majhi said Honda had wanted 500 youths from the region but the state could provide only 100.
The corporation said people from the Northeast were able to find jobs in call centres/helplines with their politeness and aptitude for service and arts.
These traits could prove useful in animation, web design and gaming also.
The corporation has identified 10 sectors that could attract migration from the region — beauty and wellness, hospitality, IT/ITES, retail, restaurants, music, sports, fashion, flight attendants, ground staff at airports, nursing and care for the elderly.
Chenoy emphasised the need for skill development opportunities in sectors such as agriculture, fishery and animal husbandry, handloom and handicrafts, construction, horticulture and fruit processing and hospitality to create local employment or livelihood opportunities.
DoNER secretary Jayati Chandra said investments in the Northeast were not being translated into appropriate job opportunities and efforts should be made to bridge this gap.
The Centre had spent Rs 80,000 crore in the region in the Eleventh Plan.
Majhi said 50 skill-development centres had been created and stressed the need for more public-private partnerships in vocational education.
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said the youth should be trained according to industrial requirements.
“We should join hands with the industry because the private sector will be potential employers to the youth. It is a responsibility from both the ends to develop the region through robust skill development process.”
The North East Skills Conclave, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) at the Srimanta Sankaradev Kalakshetra auditorium, will conclude tomorrow.
The programme included a seminar and exhibition.
DoNER minister Paban Singh Ghatowar and executive director of Tata Consultancy Services S. Mahalingam attended the conclave.
Ghatowar also spoke on the need to develop skills.
