A total of 1,917 students from nine campuses spread across the districts of East Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, East Jaiñtia Hills, East Khasi Hills and West Khasi Hills graduated from Aspire Meghalaya at functions held in their respective campus premises, on Saturday last.
The Aspire Meghalaya programme places youth engagement, talent identification and career aspirations at the heart of its interventions. A key objective of the programme is to assess training gaps and talent potential in seen and previously unseen skill and talent domains amongst adolescents and young adults across the State.
Speaking at the graduation function in Williamnagar, Deputy Commissioner, Jagdish Chelani rue about the lack of platforms to realise aspirations for youth, which is one of the factors that pose a challenge to Meghalaya’s vision of becoming one of India’s Top 10 states in 10 years.
“Young people of our State possess some of the best talents in the country. Programmes such as Aspire can help guide them to explore their potential and build the hunger to dream big and make a name for themselves,” he said.
Speaking on the scope for youth development in the Garo Hills, he stated that education is one of the areas of concern. “Quality education can strengthen our communities by providing the right solutions to our problems,” he added. He also suggested collaboration with institutions, to introduce youth programmes including those focussed on the preparation for competitive exams, with the hope that officers in various services including the IAS, will emerge from the districts.
Speaking at the function in Khliehriat, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Jonathan Shylla talked about his career as an administrator and the critical skill sets that interviewers look for in candidates, saying, “Our education system has been focussing on ensuring that students perform well in their exams, while forgetting to harness their innate talents and preparing them for life with soft skills. Besides a relevant degree, what is most sought after in job-seeking youth is leadership qualities, presentation and clarity of expression. Which is why you will truly benefit from the training you have received through Aspire Meghalaya when it is time for you to pursue your careers.”
A key highlight of the graduation functions across the five districts was the presence of prominent home-grown personalities who have established their footing in spaces such as sports, education and research, and the alternate arts. Each one took to the stage and inspired the fresh graduates with an insight into their passion-fuelled professional journeys.
Simiroy Khongtiang, renowned filmmaker from the Jaiñtia Hills, spoke about her journey as a filmmaker. “Your life is like a ship and in order to keep it afloat, you need to stay focussed and build the strength from within to learn from your mistakes. Love, take care and believe in yourself because you alone have to sail your ship to its destination,” she added.
The graduation functions across districts witnessed a wide range of talent display from the top talents of each campus in categories varying from singing, dancing, spoken word, body sport and visual arts. Three top talents from each district will converge at a State-level summit where Top 10 State Stars will be recognised and connected to forwarding opportunities within the State’s skills and talent development framework, wherever possible.
The nine campuses that graduated this week included Williamnagar Government College and Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Williamnagar in East Garo Hills; Jaiñtia Eastern College, Khliehriat and Sutnga Presbyterian Higher Secondary School in East Jaiñtia Hills; St. Mary’s Higher Secondary School, Shillong and St. Anthony’s Higher Secondary School, Pynursla in East Khasi Hills; St. Francis D’Assisi College and St. Peter’s Higher Secondary School in Nongstoiñ, West Khasi Hill and Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Tura in West Garo Hills.
