Resource person addresses the gathering during a stakeholders' sensitisation programme on DDU-GKY 2.0 at the Multipurpose Hall, DC Office Complex, Phek, on October 30.
Phek, November 1 (MExN): The Nagaland State Rural Livelihoods Mission (NSRLM) organised a stakeholders' sensitisation programme on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY 2.0) at the Multipurpose Hall, DC Office Complex, Phek, on October 30.
The programme was chaired by Zhalie Puro, ADPM, Phek district. Moa Sangtam, Joint Secretary, Rural Development and Mission Director, NSRLM, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the importance of skill development in improving employment opportunities.
Menuoneituo Chadi, Chief Operating Officer (Skills), gave a presentation on the benefits of DDU-GKY and its impact on the rural population. Project Director, DRDA Phek, Zhoi Lohe, in his short speech, stressed the importance of education as well as acquiring skills for employment.
Rhosietho Ngouri, NCS, Deputy Commissioner of Phek district, attended the programme as special guest. He observed that government jobs were often perceived as the most desirable career option in Nagaland, but stressed that they were not the only avenue for career growth.
Emphasising the need for a change in mindset to address unemployment, he encouraged youth to acquire appropriate skills and explore employment opportunities in the private sector. He said programmes such as DDU-GKY 2.0 brought skill development and placement opportunities closer to rural communities.
He stated that tackling unemployment was a collective responsibility and not solely the government's task. He called upon village councils, student bodies, churches and other civil society organisations (CSOs) to actively participate in sensitisation activities and promote such programmes to address unemployment in the district.
He also suggested that village councils maintain comprehensive databases of unemployed youth in their respective communities to help address local employment challenges. Churches, he said, could play an important role by organising sensitisation programmes, raising awareness about employment opportunities and guiding youth towards placement-linked skill development programmes under NSRLM.
Stating that the perception of a lack of employment opportunities was misleading, Ngouri said DDU-GKY offered viable avenues for skill development and job placement. He urged stakeholders to advocate for the programme, describing it as an initiative that offered practical solutions to unemployment.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Shehulu D Vadeo, Area Coordinator (Skills), Chetheba Block, Phek district.
