Meghalaya partners with 1M1B Foundation for youth empowerment

GUWAHATI: In a significant move towards fostering green skills among the youth, the Meghalaya government has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the 1M1B Foundation to establish the state's inaugural Green Skills Academy in Shillong. This endeavor, aimed at accelerating the adoption of sustainable practices among college students, marks India’s second such initiative.

The partnership aims to train 1 lakh youths from Meghalaya by 2029, with the top 10 youths allowed every year to showcase their work at the annual 1M1B summit at the United Nations in New York.

The MoU was signed by the Meghalaya Multisectoral Project for Adolescent Wellbeing Empowerment and Resilience (MPOWER) - Planning, Investment, Promotion, and Sustainable Development Department, The Department of Education, Information Technology & Communication (IT&C) Department, Meghalaya State Skills Development Society on behalf of the Meghalaya government.

The signing took place in the presence of Sampath Kumar, Development Commissioner & Principal Secretary, Pravin Bakshi, Commissioner & Secretary, Information Technology, & Communication (IT&C) Department, and Deepika Venkatesh, Program Manager, Green Skills & Sustainability, 1M1B at the Additional Secretariat, Shillong.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma envisions enabling Meghalaya’s youth to achieve their full potential through the Meghalaya Program for Adolescent Wellbeing, Empowerment, and Resilience (MPOWER).

The vision of the project is to enable Meghalaya’s youth to achieve their full potential by ensuring their successful transition from school to work, with holistic support for health & well-being, thereby ensuring the long-term sustainable development of the state.

The 1M1B Green Skills Academy is designed for college students aged over 18 to equip the future workforce with the skillset, mindset, and toolsets needed in a rapidly evolving green economy.

The Green Skills Academy offers a unique blend of theoretical knowledge, projects, workplace experiences, internships, and job readiness mentoring, creating a dynamic learning environment.

The Academy will empower participants with a range of specialized skills like artificial intelligence, sustainable design, data analysis, and project management.

By embedding real-world challenges into the learning process, the program will nurture critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration abilities, all of which are crucial for success in green and sustainable career paths.

The Green Skills Academy will benefit the youth through direct interactions with industry experts, mentors, and sustainability-focused organizations, providing guidance, mentorship, and potential employment opportunities.

Conrad Sangma said, “It is a pleasure to collaborate with 1M1B in establishing the 1M1B Green Skills Academy here in Meghalaya, aimed at accelerating the adoption of green skills among our college youth in our state.”

Sampath Kumar said, “Meghalaya has adopted a science-based life cycle model to cultivate its human capital, fostering the future economic development of the state. This collaboration with 1M1B is in perfect alignment with our mutual objective of empowering the young adolescents of the state by equipping them with skills that will prepare them for the future.”

The Summit of the Future (September 2024) is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirming existing commitments including the Sustainable Development Goals and the United Nations Charter, and moving towards a reinvigorated multilateral system that is better positioned to positively impact people’s lives.