Chief Secretary Reviews Roadmap to Achieve Skilling Targets in J&K
SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to assess progress on his initiative to create a comprehensive skilling ecosystem across Jammu & Kashmir, aimed at achieving “Skilling for All” in an inclusive manner.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Labour & Employment; MD, Skill Development Mission; DG, Budget; Director, L&E; and other senior officials.
Applauding the department’s efforts, the Chief Secretary noted that the initial blueprint of the skilling plan was prepared promptly after the stakeholders’ conference in July. He described it as promising and urged the department to maintain momentum until the objectives are fully realized. He also emphasized consulting all stakeholders to incorporate their insights, recommending multi-stakeholder discussions with higher educational institutions, IIT/IIM Jammu, agricultural universities, NABARD, J&K Bank, and others to strengthen the initiative.
Secretary, Labour & Employment, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, highlighted steps taken to develop a robust skilling plan. He detailed a recent two-day conference on “Transforming Skilling Ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir,” which involved seven government departments, six industry partners, four academic institutions, and over 100 delegates. Their suggestions were documented into a comprehensive report to guide strategy formulation.
This was followed by multi-stakeholder discussions involving IIT, IIM, and other institutions to plan next steps. The department also analyzed available tools and equipment for implementation. Surveys were conducted to assess institutional strengths and weaknesses, industry needs, and youth aspirations, including skills, curriculum feedback, entrepreneurial interests, and challenges faced.
The roadmap rests on four key pillars:
Skilling All Employable Individuals:
Introduction of foundational vocational courses in schools, covering coding, AI, communication, life skills, problem-solving, innovation, and career pathways.
Organization of annual technology festivals and competitions, ‘Techniche’ and ‘Technotholon,’ in collaboration with IIT Jammu to foster innovation and creativity.
In colleges, a ‘Career Launchpad’ will provide domain-specific skills (website design, digital marketing, data analytics, green skills, tourism skills) and a 3-month ‘College Finishing Skills’ boot camp for CV building and interview preparation.
Integration of skill courses with apprenticeships and internships, with credit points counted towards degrees.
‘Udaan Scholarship’ to support meritorious students for competitive exam coaching (JEE, NEET, IAS, JKAS, SSB) in collaboration with PM-NAPS and PM-Internship schemes.
International placement training aligned with NSQF and NSDC standards, including globally recognized certifications (IELTS, NCLEX, AWS, CompTIA), foreign language learning, and establishment of international placement cells.
Industry-Ready Tech Skills:
Curriculum upgrades, modernization of tools and equipment, trainer/faculty development, ITI upgradation under a hub-and-spoke model with industry collaboration.
Dual training model: 50% in schools, 50% on-job with industry exposure.
Lifelong Skilling & Entrepreneurship:
Sector-specific skilling in horticulture, handicrafts, eco-tourism, agro-processing, IT services, and more.
Tailored second-chance skilling, skill loans linked to employability, and export trade training for niche products like saffron, dry fruits, and handicrafts.
Monitoring & Evaluation:
Establishment of a ‘Kaushal Samiksha Kendra,’ modeled on Gujarat’s Vidhya Samiksha Kendra, using the 6A methodology. This includes online attendance tracking, skill assessment and certification, IT-enabled administration, ITI accreditation, personalized career counseling, all supported by AI.
Timelines have been set to achieve these objectives in a phased and structured manner.
The Chief Secretary later released a comprehensive report consolidating key insights and recommendations from the two-day conference on “Transforming Skilling Ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir,” held on 16–17 July, for circulation among all stakeholders.
