Dimapur, Oct. 3 (EMN): Principal of North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSR), Dimapur, Fr. Dr. CP Anto, said the present system of education, which focuses on academic achievement, needs to be restructured to incorporate life skills to help youths not just to survive but to thrive in the competitive world.
Fr. Anto said this in his address after inaugurating the ‘Skill Me Programme’ NEISSR on October 1. He said Nagaland being a small state with hardly 19 lakh population out of which the youth comprises of around 60% youth, the state can manage to employ most of the youths if there is proper planning and collaboration with colleges, government and non-government organisations.
“All our colleges in the state need to be focused to combat this menace of unemployment issues in collaboration with government and higher education institutions with other employing sectors in the state,” he said.
He also underscored that the youth needs to be re-calibrated and trained to be empowered with employability skills.
“We need to stress on life skills education as this can transform the individual, organisations and society at large into value and skilled-based society,” Anto added.
Highlighting on the skills needed in 21st century, vice principal of NEISSR, Fr. Lawrence Khing, stressed on developing and acquiring ten basic life-skills -listening, effective communication, leadership, interpersonal, relationship management, planning and organisational, decision making, multiple intelligence, results orientation mindset, media based and competitive skills, it stated.
Director of ACID, Rev. Sr. Pramila Lobo, dwelled on the need for social workers to develop their communication skills as they deal with humans and their problems. She cited examples from various experiences where employing effective communication skills helped solve problems.
Effective communication skills as such are vital for social workers who constantly deal with the diverse and complex nature of human beings, she said.
Assistant professor, NEISSR, Stephen Gangmeithe and counsellor at Shalom, Vincent Anthony Neikha, were the resource persons of the training programme.
Gangmei spoke on organisation communication and Neikha highlighted the specific communication skills required when working in rehabilitation centres.
He trained both Master of Social Work (MSW) and Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students on rational emotive therapy (RET), a kind of therapy employed in de-addiction centres. Neikha also emphasised the need to educate and create awareness on seeking professional help to assist people to come out clean from substance abuse.
As an action plan, the ‘Skill Me’ department decided to develop various employability skills on Saturdays to develop holistic development of BSW and MSW students respectively, it stated.