Jammu, Nov 27 (KNS): Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo on wednesday convened a high-level meeting of concerned officers and academicians to deliberate upon the proposed action plan of the Skill Development Department (SDD) for initiating a comprehensive mega skilling programme for the population of Jammu & Kashmir in the productive age group of 18–39 years.

The meeting, held to chart out a structured roadmap for transforming J&K into a skilled and employment-ready workforce hub, was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Higher Education Department; Principal Secretary, Finance; Managing Director, J&K Bank; Vice Chancellor, BGSBU; Secretary, Skill Development; Secretary, School Education; Managing Director, Skill Development Mission; Director, SDD; senior faculty members and Deans from universities, IIT Jammu, and other eminent academic and technical institutions, besides senior officers of the administration.

Speaking in the meeting, the Chief Secretary underscored the critical importance of creating a robust and sustainable platform for skilling the youth of J&K, describing skilling as a continuous and evolving process that cannot be achieved in a short span of time.

He maintained that establishing a strong foundational ecosystem would provide the necessary momentum and allow gradual expansion and strengthening of skilling initiatives in future.

He emphasized the urgent need for a well-defined and targeted action plan to skill lakhs of individuals in the 18–39 age group, enabling them to enhance their employability and secure sustainable livelihoods.

Drawing parallels with sectors such as medicine and engineering, he highlighted how the creation of dedicated regulatory frameworks like NMC and AICTE, along with premier institutions such as AIIMS, IITs and NITs, led to the systematic development of trained manpower and attracted private sector participation.

The Chief Secretary called for emulating a similar model in the skill development sector, stressing its alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He underlined the necessity of defining clear roles for schools, colleges, universities, institutions of excellence like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, and technical institutions such as ITIs and Polytechnics.

He further stressed that the success of this model should be measured through tangible outcomes, with strong linkage to employment whether through self-employment or private sector placements.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Participants from academic institutions and stakeholder departments shared valuable insights and assured their full cooperation by contributing resources, expertise and manpower to ensure the effective implementation and success of the proposed action plan in accordance with its core objectives.

Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, elaborated on the roadmap, stating that the proposed framework envisions skilling as a lifelong process beginning right from school education. He outlined a structured approach whereby students from Classes 6th to 9th would be imparted foundational vocational skills, followed by elective courses in Artificial Intelligence and Entrepreneurship from Classes 9th to 12th. This initiative aims to equip every learner with essential competencies required to thrive in the rapidly evolving global economy.

He further explained that at the collegiate level, a ‘Career Launchpad’ model would be introduced, offering minor skilling courses in digital and technology skills, business, finance, entrepreneurship, green energy, creative and design fields, complemented by soft skills, workplace readiness and structured placement support.

Director, Skill Development, Shahzad Alam, informed that technical institutions would be transformed into industry-ready skilling hubs in collaboration with MSMEs. This would involve curriculum revision, capacity building of trainers and infrastructure upgradation, with Polytechnics being strengthened and eventually developed into a dedicated Skill University for J&K.

The meeting also highlighted the importance of integrating short-term skilling programmes, mid-career upgradation courses and competitive examination packages to institutionalize lifelong learning as a social and economic norm. This would encourage individuals to continuously invest in enhancing their professional competencies throughout their careers.

Among the key ecosystem enablers discussed were effective placement coordination mechanisms, skill financing solutions, introduction of ‘Skill Passports’ reflecting individual skill scores, and establishment of a comprehensive institutional framework for continuous monitoring and evaluation of skilling initiatives across J&K.(KNS)