Institute that provides skill, job in city

SHILLONG, APR 23: Meghalaya chief secretary WMS Pariat underscored the need for giving a fillip to the almost forgotten skills that were once the pride of Meghalaya and the main source of employment generation in the state.

Citing that the state once prided itself of having the finest “masonry,”  “leather boot makers” and other similar skills during the inauguration of the IL&FS Institute of Skills at Dhanketi on Tuesday afternoon, Pariat spoke on the need to revive these skills by encouraging youths to take up such vocation. He said, “However today we will not find a single masonry of quality in any of the localities in Shillong, we must encourage youths to take up such profession for which the state was once quite famous.”

The inauguration of the IL&FS Institute of Skills was also attended by the Meghalaya C&RD principal secretary KN Kumar, Asian Development Bank (ADB) representative Shamit Chakravati, ISDC representative Vipindas D and ILFS regional head Shourie Chatterji.

Even as Pariat said that the government jobs, both white and blue collars, have reached a saturation point he, however, informed that the Meghalaya government has also taken a step forward by forming the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society that is being spearheaded by the C&RD department for providing training to youths to develop skills that will eventually make them employable.

Meghalaya government principal secretary KN Kumar called the occasion “historic” and said that skill development of the youth is an emerging trend in India and the state also has to gear up to fully utilize the options that are developing in the skill development front. He said with the inauguration of the institute, the institutionalization process of the IL&FS skill development has begun as it has five centres in different parts of Meghalaya.

The IL&FS Institute of Skills is a joint venture between the state government, IL&FS and local partner Christerfils C Cajee.

The IL&FS will be training the youth in developing skills that will provide them employment. As one of the IL&FS officials said that his institute has a tie- up with companies that needs manpower in different sector and the institute accordingly trained them for 45 days and after the completion of the training are placed with that company within and outside the northeast region. – By Our Reporter