70,000 youth seek govt jobs yearly in Meghalaya, just 2,500 absorbed: CM Sangma
Clearing a 20-year job backlog, Meghalaya govt plans to fill 7,000 vacancies in state services this year
A file image of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma (Photo: @SangmaConrad / X)
Shillong, Sept 9: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has said that on an average 70,000 persons are eligible to join the workforce annually in the state and the government sector can only provide about 2500 jobs.
Intervening during Question Hour, Sangma said due to shortage of jobs in the government sector there would be 67,500 eligible people who have to look beyond the government sector and therefore the growth of the private sector is crucial.
Stating that it's a challenge the state is facing in the employment sector, he asserted that the government is trying to address it by mapping all the sectors where the eligible workforce could be meaningfully engaged.
Sangma said the career counselling programme is a vital area where the state government is providing guidance to the youth so that they could be engaged in the workforce in different sectors.
This programme will provide guidance in 25 identified sectors, including defence services, banking, engineering, tourism, and several others.
The state would implement this programme through 34 counselling centres under the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS.) Trained career advisers would assist youth in preparing for both government and private-sector jobs.
Sangma said this counselling would equip the youth with necessary skill sets so that they would also look beyond the government job sector and seek opportunities into the emerging job markets.
Under the government’s Vision 2030 and its goal to make Meghalaya a $ 10 billion economy, every sector is being mapped and looked into minute details where there would be a requirement of manpower.
Sangma said the tourism sector alone has the potential of providing 54,000 job opportunities with the sector booming in the past few years and is slowly growing with new hotels, home stays requiring necessary manpower.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also informed that the government job backlog from the past 20 years is being filled and the state government is in the process of recruiting 7000 vacancies in the government sector this year.