Skill training gets a leg up as NSDC sharpens focus on NE

Skill development initiatives in Northeast India has received an impetus with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) giving thrust to several sectors to promote employment and entrepreneurship.
The NSDC, a public-private partnership programme aimed at promoting skill development, has set a target of ensuring skill training of 2.46 lakh persons in the region for 2017-18, NSDC Chief Operating Officer Jayant Krishna said.
"North-eastern India is a focus area for skill development with several sectors such as tourism and hospitality, apparel, beauty and wellness, handloom and handicrafts being given priority for training of the working population," Krishna told PTI.
The target and priority sectors were decided on the basis of multiple economic indicators which include demographic factor of the working age population, skill-gap studies and the overall economic activities in the region.

"Our focus is to make the trained people capable of earning not only in the region but in other parts of the country," he said.
Efforts would also be made to ensure they can start their own entrepreneurial ventures, Krishna said.

He said homestay training has been launched for the first time in the country and about 200 women in Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh are being trained in that category.
"The training will focus on developing entrepreneurial skills of women and provide a source of sustainable livelihood," he added.
The NSDC is implementing Capacity Building Scheme of Development of Northeast Region (DoNER) Ministry which is providing funds for skill development.

"Youth, particularly women, from the North-eastern states are being trained in industry relevant skills to enable them to secure a better livelihood and to ensure that they get mainstream roles in new sectors," Krishna added.
The NSDC has partnered with Amazon's 'Meri Saheli' programme for conducting a workshop on digital literacy for women entrepreneurs.