Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi at the meeting in Guwahati on Thursday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, July 7: Dispur is chalking out a roadmap on skill development to hone the the talents of youths and help them utilise it properly.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi discussed the issue with S. Ramadorai, adviser to the Prime Minister’s National Council on Skill Development and vice-chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, in a meeting here today.

“We will have to find out what kind of training will have to be given,” Gogoi told reporters after the meeting. “The idea behind skill development is to create employment,” he added.

Health and education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, labour and employment minister Prithibi Majhi, senior officials from different departments and representatives of private sector and trade associations were present.

Gogoi said a skill development council would be formed with the help of the National Council on Skill Development.

“Ramadorai had helped in getting a TCS centre here in the state. We want his help in skill development sector now,” Gogoi said and added that the Energy and Resources Institute was helping the state to provide cost effective technology in the muga sector.

Ramadorai said construction, tourism and hospitality and healthcare sectors had the maximum potential for skill development in the state. “By 2022, India will need 500 million vocationally skilled young professionals. The National Council on Skill Development is striving to meet this challenge and is working to train 500 million people by 2022.”

On people from the region going out to work in the IT sector, he said once the opportunities were created, they would return with more experience.

Ramadorai will also visit other states of the region to get a feedback on skill development. He said sectors like energy efficiency, waste management and management of water resources that create green jobs were the prospective sectors for employment.

Sources said a state employment policy had been drafted and would take into consideration the employment market and target the needs of special categories.

The policy notes that an overwhelming majority of the work force in rural and urban areas does not possess any marketable skills.