Srinagar, Nov 5: National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology Srinagar (NIELIT) on Friday launched ‘Future Skill Orientation and Mentorship program’ aimed to equip youth with the latest set of skills in order to increase their employability opportunities in the job market.
On the occasion, the senior government functionaries, academicians pledged to bat for equipping students with latest skill development programs. They said that there is dire need to equip younger generation with modern skills to boost their employability rate.
Speaking on the occasion, Administrative Secretary, Tribal Affairs and CEO Mission Youth, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, said that it is high time that quality future skills are brought into focus among youth. He said the government will do everything to provide full support to such programs.
“There is a vital need for coordination between such skill-based institutions and government so that job-oriented skills can be provided to youth. As the pandemic hit, the need for technical skills was felt most and it is high time to induce these skills into youth,” Choudhary said.
He appreciated the efforts of NIELIT J&K in the skill development of the students within the Union Territory of J&K. He emphasized that the quality of the skill needs to be improved and highlighted that the right kind of skilling must be undertaken to enrich the talent pool in the UT.
Many senior officials and other dignitaries’ were present at the launch of Future Skill orientation and mentorship program by NIELIT at Rangreth Srinagar.
The program is the collaboration of NIELIT and the Department of Higher education. The event was attended by many senior officials including Yasmeen Ashai, Director Colleges, Department of Higher Education, Prof A. H. Moon, Dean Academic Affairs and Dean School of Engineering and Technology IUST, Shah Jahan Wani, Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cluster University, Srinagar among others.
Yasmeen Ashai while addressing the audience said that during the last financial year, skill, industrial training to degree college students through different training, and industry partners were provided.
She further added that NIELIT was at the forefront of that collaboration and emphasized that there is also a need for close engagement and collaboration between different agencies of the department for undertaking skilling initiatives in the U.T of J&K.
“Skills are changing and with passing time we are in need of more skilled people. We have to reimagine things like vocational training programs. We in the higher education department will make sure to add these things to our plan so that productivity will increase,” she said.
Many speakers from the industrial sector dwelled upon the need of such training to increase productivity and employability. During the event the senior officials from NIELIT talked about their work through PowerPoint presentations.
Executive Director, NIELIT J&K, Deepak Wasan said “The initiative will provide an ecosystem for the students to get industry exposure. One of the important offshoots of the initiation would be a close tie-up between industry and academia. The orientation and mentorship will help the students to understand the practical needs of the industry and prepare accordingly.”
Joint Director, NIELIT Srinagar, Ashiq Hussain Dar said that under this program, sessions will be conducted in different domains by the industry experts belonging to various multinational companies and corporates. He said the program will encompass all the sessions related to IECT, software skills for the students in the UT of J&K on a weekly basis.