Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy has laid the foundation stone for an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Kushiabill, Dimapur.
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Following this, the Union Minister, during a programme on 'skilling the youths of Nagaland' held at the Patkai Christian College, assured the establishment of a model ITI of international standard.
Rudy further announced that Kiphire and Longleng districts would soon have their own ITIs and that model skill centers would soon be established in all the districts and blocks of the state.
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Rudy informed that the Prime Minister has given "special instruction to do whatever possible for Nagaland." He further underlined the importance of his Ministry to have direct connection with the youth, asserting skilling of youth as the biggest challenge. "We will bring industry partnership of the highest level and we have a whole plan for the state of Nagaland", Rudy said and promised to come back to Nagaland again.
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Rudy, during his address, said one of the biggest challenges that India faces presently is how to impart skills to the millions of educated unemployed youths in the country.
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Rudy said while countries like China and US have 55 percent skilled workforce, UK 68 percent, Japan 80 percent and South Korea 96 percent skilled workforce, in sharp contrast India has a mere 4.5 percent skilled workforce.
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"Over the last 67 years, our focus was on education and we thought that skill was a part of education and we did not actually focus on skills and most of us were after degrees," the Union Minister said.
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Rudy also informed that presently, 16% of engineering graduates and 17% of management graduates in the country are unemployed. "So the situation is that education is not delivering what the industry wants and this is exactly the biggest challenge we are facing now."
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Underscoring the importance of skill development and the urgent need to take skills to the doorsteps, he said skill education in the country has to take place under the National Skills Qualifications Framework, approved by the Union Cabinet and subsequent launching of Skill India mission by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi in 2015. The Union Minister informed that under the framework, even school drop-outs can get employment opportunities.
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Rudy said the youth of the North East region, particularly Nagaland, are fit to be employed in any part of the world, provided they are given skill orientation trainings and facilities. Iterating Narendra Modi's commitment to develop the North East, Rudy further assured to create a "web of skill centres" in the North East.
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Earlier, Nagaland State Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, in his address highlighted the urgent need to address the issue of skilling the youths of Nagaland and said with change of time, the aspirations of the youths are also changing.
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Zeliang also urged the Union minister to grant financial assistance to youths undergoing skill development training under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), provide skill orientation courses in schools and colleges in Nagaland and to set up a regional skilling centre of international standard in the state.
Zeliang lamented the lack of industrial activities in the state and cited this as a stumbling block for gainful employment of the youths. Meanwhile, he also announced that the Department of Labour & Employment has been renamed as Department of Labour & Employment, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
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Parliamentary Secretary for Labour and employment, Skill Development and Border Affairs, Mmhonlumo Kikon also speaking on the occasion expressed excitement for transforming the North East into a natural economic zone through the Prime Minister's 'Skill India Vision.' He said Nagaland has been endowed with natural resource as well as human resource but cautioned that unless human resource is developed at par with national and international standards, natural resources will not be marketed
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Kikon also called for private parties to play a major role in creating this atmosphere. He stated that the department was willing to work hard and fast to build world class skilling the state.