Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 8: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today underscored the need for developing an accurate tracking mechanism of youth and post their training under the skill development mission.
“The success of the skill development mission can only be realised when placement of these youth and utilisation of their learnt skills is ensured,” Mr Abdullah said while reviewing Jammu and Kashmir Skill Development Mission at a meeting here.
Mr Abdullah said, “State Government besides engaging private players through initiatives like UDAAN and HIMAYAT has simultaneously focused on enhancing the existing training facilities. Our training programmes should be reflective of the requirements in the job market.”
He said that steps should be taken to devise an inbuilt mechanism in the course curriculum itself to ensure market oriented skill training to the youth.
The Chief Minister, however, laid emphasis on imparting soft skills to youth across all training programmes to improve their communication skills and chances of getting absorbed in the job market where besides educational and technical qualifications special focus is laid on communication skills.
“The State Government has fixed a target of skilling 9.1 lakh youth during the 12th FYP and we are moving forward in this direction, however, during the course some redesigning or rearranging may be required to suit the job market requirements to ensure higher placement avenues for the youth under the mission,” he added.
Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Minister for Higher Education, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, Chief Secretary, Mohammad IqbalKhandey, Principal Secretary Planning and Development, B.R. Sharma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B.B. Vyas, Principal Secretary PDD, A.K. Mehta, Commissioner Secretaries and other officers were present in the meeting.
Earlier, Principal Secretary Planning and Development, B.R. Sharma gave detailed presentation on skill development saying that during 2012-13 against the target of training 1.10 lakh youth as many as 88,440 have received training in sectors of Micro & Small Scale Industry, Vocational and Technical Education, Agriculture, Horticulture, Information Technology, Animal, Sheep Husbandry, Tourism, Health, HIMAYAT and UDAAN.
Mr. Sharma said there is further requirement of mapping of skills at the district level to fill district level skill gaps. He said ICRA had earlier conducted the study on mapping of current and future skill requirement of Jammu and Kashmir, however the survey conducted by ICRA was at Macro level. He said now NSDC has mandated Imac’s to conduct a district level skill gap study for all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir and suggest suitable intervention to address the gap for every district, besides create an action plan. He said this new plan will be rolled out during 2014-15 to upgrade the existing J&K Skill Business Plan as per the outcome of the study.
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