‘Educated unemployment’ a defining challenge for government, educational institutions

April 4, 2022 163 Views No Comment

Patkai, April 4 (MExN): Consistency is the driving force for being ‘gainfully employed and happy at work’ and one’s career orientation and planning should begin early, according to Nari Shakti Puraskar Awardee and founder of YouthNet Hekani Jakhalu Kense.

Highlighting the issue of unemployment in the state of Nagaland, Hekani was addressing the ‘World of Work: Preparing for the Future’ talk organised by the Woman Cell and Gender Champion, Patkai Christian College (Autonomous) on April 2 in the college campus.

Hekani said, ‘Youths in Nagaland are talented and creative but the biggest challenge is inconsistency.’ Referring to the statistics, she informed that Nagaland has the highest urban employment in the North-East and highest rural-urban unemployment in the country.

According to a press release from the college on Sunday, she also expressed the need to reverse the statistics of unemployment rate in the state and called upon the students to start early in deciding their goals.

Hard work, consistency and being goal oriented are important to be successful, she said, while adding that the ‘world of work’ is filled with challenges as one exposes themselves to real working set up.

Chairing the programme, Dr Dakter Esse Jamir, HOD Multimedia and Mass Communication said that the New Education Policy 2020 is targeted at addressing the issue of unemployment.

Unemployment, particularly educated unemployment is a defining challenge for any government as well as the educational institutes. Accordingly, this demands reorientation, reorganization and re-adaptation of the developing scenario, she stressed, adding that it calls for change at foundational level.

Manager, YouthNet, T Sepila Zhimomi, spoke at length on the importance of skill development, internship and career guidance. Research shows that people spend more time preparing on vacations, planning out holidays rather than career, Zhimomi said. To this she opined that educational institutes should encourage industry exposures for students.

The talk was followed by an interaction moderated by, Dr Imlisunep Changkery, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, PCC wherein students from various departments raised questions on issues concerning their current state.

On a query by a student from the department of Multimedia and Mass Communication (DMMC) about internship opportunities provided by YouthNet, the resource person Hekani informed that ‘YouthNet is open for providing internship and attaching students to various private organisations for internship’.

She also spoke about ‘shadowing’, which the YouthNet is keen at helping the youths with. Shadowing is a term used for assisting observing and learning from senior officials in different organisations.

Asked on key ingredients required to maintain consistency with one’s goal from a student from department of Commerce she noted, ‘the mind is the most powerful tool’, one has to train their mind to be focused and avoid distractions.

On the question of parental and peer pressure by a student from the History department, the resource person said that one needs to realise their potential and interests and align it to choose a career.

Earlier, the programme started with invocation by Kasa Losa, Assistant Professor from the Department of Education while Mhao Thungoe, Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy shared the welcome address. Dr Razoukhrulu Curhah Kehie proposed the vote of thanks and Rev Dr Vichukho Ngukha gave the benediction.