A Panel discussion – Break the Bias on skills and attitudes for employability of students and youth of North East stressed on mental well-being for the youth to lead productive lives. The panel discussed on skilling and retaining youth in jobs, challenges in attracting youth to science and technology streams, generating employment opportunities within NER and challenges and way forward.
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Srikanth Sinha – CEO TASK – Telangana Academy of Skills and Knowledge said the mantra to remember is to learn, unlearn, relearn and keep repeating it. All this will be driven by one thing: your passion. For any skill your foundation is the most important. Ensure whatever you do your career should be based on a very strong foundation and then build your career on it. Juhi Barua of Assam Don Bosco 
University said that the greatest strength of the Northeastern region lies in its diversity. The students of the North east are articulate and one more strength is people are kind which emanates from the diversity of culture. She exhorted students to be good at what you do, assimilate the environment you are in, and the third is be aware of the opportunity around. There are plenty of opportunities here in the North East itself.
Saurabh Gupta, COO, KIMS Sunshine Hospitals was of the opinion that there is a lot of talk on technical skills but behavioural skills are equally important. He went on to add that healthcare is the only sector where we have more than 50% of the workforce is women. According to studies, 18% to 20 % of healthcare workforce; predominantly nurses are from northeast and are being preferred due to their compassionate nature.
KB Rajendran – Partner Suraj Foundation Ms Kajal Saikia-Head HR, NRL said that Suraj foundation was focussing on mental health with the use of art and culture. We also have projects on intercultural collaboration between states and between countries. We are getting a bunch of students to perform around the theme. This would address their anxieties and channelize their energy.
We need to provide the students an outlet or a forum for channelizing their energies, and focus around a social theme by a group of students in a workshop format With students and teachers coming forward and performing, stress is definitely removed from the system.
Shri Nishith Upadhyaya-Senior Director – Knowledge & Advisory Services, Society for Human Resource Management (India) said the landscape of skills and the jobs has dramatically changed from finding employment which used to be a trend. There is a fundamental and tectonic shift. We do talent assessment and the development work for the industry and I have enclosed the work with the oil and gas industry with different organizations. The people’s angle in any business is something which is extremely crucial. We have businesses growing at scale in India. As businesses grow and scale 60% of issues which the CEO has to deal with center around the people.
Sunita Bhuyan, noted Violinist and Vocalist who moderated the session concluded thus:
“It all starts in the mind and it is the heart and the mind that makes us does things. How do we give nutrition to the mind is the question. We do not treat the brain as a part of the human body. Mental health and all-round development of students will give us skilled executives, said Sunita Bhuyan, noted Violinist and Vocalist while moderating the session ‘Skills and Attitudes for Employability of students and youth of NE.’
Let each of us be confident and a happy human being. Happiness and productivity is the by- product of peace. So let’s hope there is a peace in this world beautiful environment and there is good mental health and wellbeing
