Srinagar : In first such kind of an initiative by the state government, J&K Skill Development Mission (JKSDM) held a stakeholders meet to understand the market requirement of skilled manpower, industry needs and job aspirants’ skill sets for employability to fill the gap of labour demand and unemployment problem in the state.
The meeting chaired by the Technical Education and IT Minister Imran Raza Ansari was the first of a proposed series of stakeholders series “Skill J&K Opportunities and Challenges” organized by the mission directorate, Jammu and Kashmir Skill Development Mission (JKSDM).
The meeting was attended by more than 80 industries, chamber leader, business heads, entrepreneurs, consultants and concerned civil society members with the purpose to strengthen the bond between the industry and the JKSDM for the future collaborative action for skilling and enhancing the employability of the Kashmir youth.
Welcoming the participants, Mission Director, J&K State Skill Development Mission said that the economic development and progress of countries like Japan Singapore and Korea like countries are not due to the natural resources, which are meager in these countires, rather due to development of the human resource.
He requested the industrial sector to support the skill development initiatives of the mission with their valuable views and suggestions in light of the industry requirements so that the same are integrated with the training policies for ensuring the employability of target groups in industrial establishments and other fields of the economy.
Speaking at the occasion, the minister mentioned that the state has a unique geography, culture, arts and crafts and the policies and schemes borrowed from outside does not suit here. “Therefore we need to shape our skill development programmes accordingly to our local needs, which can help us to explore our own resources,” the minister said. The minister said that the purpose of these kind of meetings is to seek the suggestions from the concerned stakeholders so that the workforce brought out of the skill development intuitions is acceptable in the market.
He requested the industrialists and business people for offering their factories and workplaces for on- the- job-training for the persons who pursue skill development through various institutions of the state.
He laid stress on private sector for paying reasonable wages to the skilled persons who are placed by them and opening of the avenues for their career progression as is existent in the public sector.
Industrialists, entrepreneurs and other participants provided a number of suggestions and remedies for increasing the employability and enhancing the skills besides talking about particular requirement of their concerned sectors. These suggestions were well taken by the minister and other officers promising prompt action. It was also said that mention will continuously hold such interactive sessions in the future.
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