Dist students benefit from weeklong workshops in soft skills, career counselling and financial literacy
SHILLONG, Feb 5: East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner RM Kurbah on Wednesday appreciated the initiatives of AVENUES of not only identifying but also addressing the shortcomings in soft skills among the youths of Meghalaya.
Addressing a young gathering during a certification event at Industrial Training Institute (Women), Shillong, as the chief guest, Kurbah said, “Most of you are Class 12 students. This is the deciding year of your life. So, by this time you should be very clear about what you want to do. I’m grateful to the team from AVENUES who have been working in this space since 2003, identifying the gaps in soft skills and life readiness for young people like you.”
She went on to encourage the participants to use their time wisely and to avoid getting distracted. “Draw a roadmap for yourself. And keep in mind that there is no shortcut in life. Nothing can replace hard work, dedication, sincerity and humility,” she concluded.
According to a statement here, as many as 55 students were felicitated upon completing a week-long training programme titled ‘Career Counselling and Financial Literacy’.
The workshops were conducted in two separate batches over the past few weeks with 25 participants at Nongrim Hills Community Hall, and 30 participants at ITI (Women), Rynjah, respectively.
Under the same initiative, another programme titled ‘Engineering Mindsets, Effective Communication and Talent & Wellbeing’ was conducted in two batches for 36 participants at Laitkor Community Hall and 19 participants at AVENUES Academy, respectively in the past three weeks. “These workshops were designed and facilitated by AVENUES, Shillong, and supported by the District Administration, East Khasi Hills, through the Chief Minister’s Youth Development Scheme (CMYDS),” the statement said.
“In an effort to help equip youth with essential employable skills, the career counselling curriculum was designed to instil job readiness through sessions that focussed on resume building, interview skills and job searching. The sessions also touched upon financial literacy in areas such as budgeting, savings and financial discipline. The latter programme focussed on building critical thinking, basic soft skills and wellbeing. The workshops were conducted over a period of 20 hours spread across five days,” it added.
During the event, 18-year-old Banrisha Lyngdoh Nonglait revealed how the workshop helped her develop a positive attitude.
“I am a shy person, especially to speak in front of people. When I first joined, our trainer asked me what I did during the holidays and I answered ‘I don’t know’. But now I have learnt that we should know what we’re doing with our lives. If we’re searching for a job and we are asked the same question, and we say we don’t know, how will we get the job? So, I have learnt that we should always have a positive attitude and confidence, and grab the opportunities that we get,” Nonglait said.
Twenty-year-old Medarishisha Nongbri Bamon had a similar experience to share. “I have learnt a lot about teamwork and how to conduct myself in a job interview. I also learnt how to make a personal budget and keep track of my expenses,” she added.
Similarly, 13-year-old Mihsalan Nongsiej, who attended the programme at Laitkor, spoke of his experience.
“This programme taught me about growth and fixed mindsets. We also learnt about tone in vocal and expressive reading to improve our communication and speaking skills. We were also given the opportunity to showcase our talents,” Nongsiej said.