Shillong (Meghalaya), April 26: More than 160 youth from seven Northeast states were certified Wednesday under the Employability Accelerator Programme, a UNIQLO India–Avenues Meghalaya initiative aimed at closing the region’s job-readiness gap.
The 80-hour course, fully funded by UNIQLO, trained college students and unemployed youth in communication, confidence, teamwork and interview skills. Participants came from Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Arunachal, Nagaland, Tripura and Assam, representing colleges like St. Edmund’s, Lady Keane, Shillong College, Women’s College and MIT University.
Sports & Youth Affairs Minister Wailadmiki Shylla told graduates that “skill alone is not enough. What is needed is mastery, discipline, and continuous learning,” pointing to Japan’s work ethic as a model. Padma Shri Manas Chaudhuri urged youth to adopt “discipline, integrity, and responsibility” in their careers.
UNIQLO India COO & CFO Kenji Inoue said the programme is “not the end, it is the starting point,” stressing attitude and willingness to grow over raw skills. COO Kaneko Yuichiro added that UNIQLO wants to “grow together with local communities” by building globally capable talent.
HR heads Kamalika Deka and Kanta Nagasaki cited strong discipline and adaptability among Northeast employees as key reasons for investing in the region. Avenues’ Raj Kharmih said the training bridges a critical gap between education and employment.
Trainees reported clear gains. Bokalu Yeptho from Nagaland said he overcame stage fear, while St. Edmund’s Naira Khanam Ahmed said she learned to present herself and face interviews with confidence.
With only 45–50% of India’s graduates considered job-ready, organisers pitched the initiative as a scalable model combining UNIQLO’s industry reach with Avenues’ regional expertise to create future-ready professionals from the Northeast.
