SHILLONG, Nov 17: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said that Meghalaya’s partnership with Japan is expanding across multiple sectors, emphasising that the state prefers focused, meaningful international collaborations over broad, unfocused tie-ups.
“Our thought process is very clear and focused. We don’t want to have multiple tie-ups with multiple nations because if you try to tie up with everybody, you will not have a relationship with anybody,” he said. The Chief Minister added that Japan and the Northeastern states share similarities in food and culture, and Japan has been collaborating with India for many years.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Japanese Training Programme organised by the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) under the Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development at Mount View Building, Barik.
Reflecting on Meghalaya’s growing engagement with Japan, Sangma noted that the partnership began modestly with only two nurses being sent abroad two years ago. Today, 37 nurses from Meghalaya are working in Japan, with more expected to join soon.
“Our nurses in Japan are currently at the N4 grading level. We want them to reach N3 for higher salaries. On average, each nurse is sending back around Rs 1 lakh per month to their families. The foreign exchange coming into the state from these 37 nurses is around Rs 5 crore annually,” he said.
The Chief Minister added that the government wants young people to gain both livelihood opportunities and global exposure through the Japan collaboration. He highlighted the role of the ASEAN Group in facilitating the process.
He also pointed out that while earlier batches had to undergo six months of training in Bengaluru, the current batch will benefit from training being conducted directly in Shillong. Sangma welcomed the two Japanese tutors who will lead the programme and assured them of the government’s support during their stay.
Encouraging the trainees, he urged them to make full use of the opportunity to enhance their skills and improve their employability.
A total of 86 students have registered for the six-month Japanese Language Training Programme.
Also present at the event were Labour Minister Methodius Dkhar, Nishikwa Toshiaki San, Chairman and CEO of ASEAN Group Co. Ltd, Japanese tutors, and officials from MSSDS.
