Jammu, Jan 6 (PTI) A comprehensive, four-track integrated roadmap to transform the skilling ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir and make its population future-ready for emerging employment opportunities has been finalised, officials said.
The five-year roadmap, starting from the school foundation level, was presented by the Skill Development Department to Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, who chaired the meeting to finalise the plan.
Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan said that the roadmap aims to empower individuals across J-K through industry-aligned skilling, ensuring inclusive growth, enhanced employability and long-term economic resilience.
“The overarching objective is to enable every individual in the Union Territory to secure a gainful livelihood through market-aligned skills,” he said.
Under the proposed outcomes, 6 – 7 lakh school students will be exposed to skilling, structured skill courses will be offered to 2 – 2.5 lakh college students, and technical or short-term skilling will be provided to 5–6 lakh youth and working-age individuals, promoting lifelong learning, he said.
Director, Skill Development Department, Shahzad Alam said the roadmap is structured around four integrated tracks.
“The first track, ‘foundational skilling in schools’, focuses on compulsory exposure to vocational and 21st-century skills for students from classes 6 to 12 through structured modules, exposure visits, hackathons and career assessments”, he added.
The second track, ‘career launchpad in colleges’, targets college students and graduates through minor skilling courses, internships, finishing school modules and support for competitive examinations, with academic credits, stipends and structured placement support, he said.
The third track, ‘Industry-ready technical skilling’, aims to strengthen ITIs, polytechnics and technical institutions through a hub-and-spoke model, diversified courses, dual training systems and stronger apprenticeship linkages, he said.
“Polytechnics are proposed to evolve into a J-K Skills University framework,” he added.
The fourth track, ‘Upskilling and Lifelong Learning’, focuses on the existing workforce and informal sector through short-term skilling, mid-career upgradation, recognition of prior learning, entrepreneurial skill development and district-level model skill centres, the director said.
Reviewing the roadmap, the Chief Secretary stressed the need to make it practical, outcome-driven and implementable, with clearly defined roles for all participating institutions, including national-level institutions.
He also emphasised strengthening industry–academia linkages and exploring Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and fellowship programmes to create high-quality employment opportunities.
The roadmap will be circulated among universities, academic institutions and concerned departments for feedback to enhance its effectiveness, officials said.
The meeting was also briefed on a proposal for a unified end-to-end job listing platform integrating international, national and UT-level employment opportunities, along with a structured strategy for overseas recruitment through the proposed J&K Overseas Employment Corporation. PTI AB AB HIG HIG
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