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Goa, with its idyllic location, may be one of the best holiday places for
many, but is it as attractive to the people of the state, in terms of
education, income and professional satisfaction? Would they want to stay in a
state that does not offer the right educational structure that caters to higher
job profiles? It may provide sound basic education, but when it comes to
specialised further studies and better-earning job prospects, we see a number
of youths choosing to move to greener pastures.
There
are times when Goans spend lacs of rupees on their studies but are forced to
take up jobs paying meagre salaries in order to avoid being unemployed. Staying
unemployed is not an option and thus our Goan youth are moving out of Goa for
better prospects. Many youngsters are found making their Portuguese passports
and moving out of India for good while there are a few who go to other states
in India itself, returning home only on holidays. Sadly, Goa has become a
holiday destination for Goans themselves.
Cafe speaks to
a few Goan youngsters for a better understanding of this trend:
Being a media
student, I know of how much we spend for studies over the 3 years until our
graduation; the salaries that we are offered after that are nothing compared to
that. This is why I took the decision to make my Portuguese passport and
relocate. Now I work in the United Kingdom and I’m happy with the salary I get.
It is sad to see so many youngsters facing this situation in Goa. With the
limited job opportunities available in Goa and the higher qualifications
required, youth like us are moving out of Goa.
SHRUTI MANJREKAR, MASS COMMUNICATION
In my opinion,
rather than Goa simply not being at par, it has more to do with how India’s
metropolitan cities have transformed their efficiency to match global
standards, both in terms of education and career opportunities. People from all
over India move to Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi amongst other metros as there
are enormous opportunities compared to their native states. However, with the
upcoming progress made in infrastructure and industries in Goa, I’m sure
numerous opportunities for locals will arise in the future.
CEDRIC PAL,
DIGITAL MARKETING
Goa is home,
but when it comes to higher studies, it’s not satisfactory at all. When I had
to do my pharmacy course, I could not choose to stay in Goa because the
facilities here were not enough. Even when I ask my friends who are doing the
same course in Goa itself, they say that there is no professionalism in
students or the teaching staff in Goa. When it comes to my college in Belgaum,
we are strictly told to follow our professional dress code and the behaviour of
a pharmacist, showing the importance of the job.
JENAISHA NORONHA, SCIENCE
I’m currently
pursuing my final year MCA degree at St Aloysius Institute of Management and
Information technology, Mangalore. In Goa there is only one college for MCA and
that is Goa University. I didn’t want to do my masters there and chose to go
out of Goa since there are very few IT industries in here. The pay too is quite
less as IT industries are just coming up in Goa. After completing my MCA, I’ll
be working in Mangalore or Bangalore and not in Goa as I want to work in a
challenging environment wherein I get to develop my skill set, which I feel may
not be possible in Goa.
JOVEL CARDOSO,
COMPUTER APPLICATION
Self-financed
education is always expensive but when we go for job interviews, we are forced
to work less paid jobs in order to avoid staying at home. Now I’m working in
Dubai. I do miss Goa, my home, family and friends, but there’s nothing much I
can do about it. Ultimately, it all comes down to the salary and the work; if
you’re getting paid well then you’ll rather work away from Goa than wait there
underappreciated. I feel the government should focus on the jobs and the
salaries more than any other thing.
SELTON DIAS,
BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION
Goa has been
facing the situation of inadequate employment for a long time now. The thing
is, the lack of jobs is not the only thing that is affecting the youth of Goa;
another important issue is the uneven remuneration we get for the long hours of
work we do. Many youngsters end up switching professions when they don’t find
opportunities in the fields they’ve invested a lot of time and money on.
Getting a good job with a good pay is very difficult in the state of Goa and
thus I’m planning on moving to Oman for good.
ANTHONY MASCARENHAS, COMMERCE
According to
me, the youth don’t get paid enough for the work they do. So much of money is
invested in their studies. However, when it comes to getting that back, the
salaries Goans receive is the last thing one would expect. The main problem is
that there are no jobs, and so we have to choose a different path than sit at
home doing nothing. People criticize those who avail for Portuguese passports
and go abroad. They should understand the fact that Goans are choosing to move
abroad because the government has failed to provide jobs, studies and good
salaries to the youth.
ALLWYN DIAS,
JOURNALISM
