AN ANALYSIS OF ABSORPTION OF TECHNICAL PERSONNEL IN AN ECONOMY: A CASE STUDY OF ASSAM

As a part of higher education, technical education makes individuals a productive part of society by giving them the chance to acquire practical knowledge, requisite skills and training needed for self employment also. Shukla (2007) says that stocks of the scientific- technological workforce help in determining to what degree a nation or a certain region is able to fulfill its technological and innovative needs but also says that although human resources in science and technology by education have grown considerably, a matter of some concern is the poor utilization of these resources. This indicates the unemployment of technical personnel. Srivastav et al (2010) says that the rate of unemployment in North–Eastern Region of India is in general higher than national average and it is highest for Assam among these states. In this study, unemployment of technical personnel is concerned taking into consideration of demand side factors. Demand for technical personnel will be lacking if number of industries is not sufficient to absorb technical personnel and if quality of technical personnel is not matched with what is required by the industries. Therefore, the present research seeks to analyze absorption of different types of technical personnel of Assam through which their demand in an economy can be assessed. Thus from the above analysis it is concluded that during the post reform period demand for engineering graduates is reduced compared to pre reform period and demand for both I.T.I passed out trainees and diploma holders in engineering is increased compared to engineering graduates because the gap between outturn and absorption of both I.T.I passed out trainees and diploma holders in engineering is reduced in post reform period compared to pre reform period but it is increased in case of engineering graduates. And in case of engineering graduates, it is found that after the entry of private sector into the technical educational system, demand for engineering graduates passed out from government technical educational institutions is reduced compared to that of private institutions. It might be due to low quality of engineering graduates of government technical educational institutions, it is found like that. So, government of Assam, technical educational institutions and industries should play important role for qualitative development of technical personnel.