Srinagar: Vice Chancellor University of Kashmir, Prof Talat Ahmad, has stressed on introducing more skill-based courses in universities and colleges of JK to increase the employability of youth of the region or to make them successful entrepreneurs of tomorrow.
While speaking at a Webinar, Prof Talat said, “Our University is already running few skill based courses including one in furniture designing. There is a huge scope to introduce more such skill based courses, especially in traditional crafts, in our universities and colleges, with technological inputs that can take the trade to an altogether different scale.”
The webinar, inaugurated by Minister for Road, Transport & Highways and MSME, GOI Nitin Gadkari, was organised by Fahad Mir Foundation in collaboration with Care Nature & Environment on, “Job opportunities offered by Ministry of MSME & constraints/ problems faced by the youth of J&K’.
Underlining the importance of government support, Prof Talat said, “the professional training and financial support plays a big role in bringing overall development and it is here where we seek support of the institutions and ministries like MSME to provide soft loans to unemployed skilled youth of J&K. This will also help in addressing the problem of unemployment in JK.”
Stressing for setting up of green industries, given the ecological sensitivity of the entire J&K region, Prof Talat sought support of Ministry of MSME in establishing IT parks, IT hubs and BPOs at district level across the JK UT. The VC informed that the university is preparing a major skill project which will be submitted to the Minister for MSME.
Referring to some of the announcements made post August, 05, 2019 Prof Talat said that the promise of providing 50 thousand jobs and financial package should be fulfilled as soon as possible so as to give some boost to the educated unemployed youth and development of the region.
The Vice Chancellor added, “there is an impressive percentage of female students enrolled in various colleges and universities of J& K and as such there is a huge scope for opening up women universities and women colleges in the region.”
Earlier Minister for Road, Transport & Highways and MSME, GOI Nitin Gadkari while addressing the Webinar said that the Central Government is trying very hard to bring all round development of the region by focusing on various sectors of growth and trade which are unique to JK and have tremendous potential to bring a paradigm shift in the socio-economic development of the region. The Minister detailed the MSME projects that can be considered by the youth of JK keeping in view the natural beauty and unique location of UT.
While referring to the quality of high -altitude honey, handlooms, handicrafts, pashmina trade, furniture manufacturing in J&K Gadkari said that the need is to find out how technology and world class practices could be adapted in designing, marketing and packaging of these products which will enhance their quality, demand and value in the international market.
Gadkari said that he is looking forward to the Universities, research institutes, trade bodies, innovators, entrepreneurs, craft development institutes and government departments in the region of J& K to come forward with a vision document focusing on the potential areas of growth and trade so that both unemployment and poverty which are interlinked could be eradicated from the region.
