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Dr. Neiphrezo Keditsu speaking at the inaugural programme of skill fest at Oriental College, Kohima, on November 20.[/caption]
Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Nov. 20 (EMN): With 70,000 educated unemployed youth in the State registered with the Employment Exchange as in July 2017, Parliamentary Secretary of Employment, Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, Dr. Neiphrezo Keditsu, has urged the students to hone their skills in trade and prosper rather than depending on government jobs, which according to him has reached a saturating point.
Speaking at the week-long skill fest organised by Oriental College, Kohima, on November 29, Keditsu called upon the students to set their goals high by acquiring skills in the trade of their interest and not merely focused in achieving academic degrees.
While pointing out that government jobs in Nagaland have reached a saturation point, he urged upon the students to shift their focus. He said, “education system in our country is degree oriented and not career oriented.”
Stating that there is a huge gap between getting a job and a degree, he said the Central government has included ‘skill education’ to enhance the skill of the youth during their degree courses. He, therefore, called upon the students to set their goals high and not only focused in achieving academic degrees but also enhance their skill in the trade of their interest.
The College principal Dr. Ketshukietuo Dzüvichü, in his address, has termed as a red letter day for the college as the college is starting a new venture on skills development and entrepreneurship training and starting to empower students through various training.
“The syllabus taught in the college and university is too conventional and mostly theoretical, hence there is a huge gap in the demand and supply of workforce in the market,” said Dzüvichü and hoped that the programme would bring about overall development of the students creating skills necessary for enhancing employability as well as entrepreneurial ability of the students.
He stated that life skills and personality development is a new programme which has been incorporated as an add-on curriculum from the academic session 2017 for higher secondary and degree classes in order to help students achieve academic excellence and impart other vital skills to lead a successful and enriching life.
“This training will not guarantee you to get a certificate or a degree, but this is something which you will learn and do practically and take up as a profession or use it in your day to day life,” said the principal.
During the week-long programme, the college will impart training on the following trades such as coffee plantation, piggery, fishery, entrepreneurship, horticulture, mushroom cultivation, food processing, handicrafts and carpentry, baking, painting and framing, doll ornamental making, knitting, electrical fittings where various resource persons will be training the students on each trade.