Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday chaired a preliminary meeting to discuss the formulation of an action plan for Mission SKILL in Jammu and Kashmir, emphasising the need for a comprehensive, mission-mode strategy to equip youth with market-relevant skills.
As per an official press release, addressing the participants, the chief minister underscored that the traditional education system often does not fully equip students with the skills required for the evolving job market or entrepreneurship.
“Formal education more often than not does not prepare us with the skills that we require in the job market or as entrepreneurs. What this presentation and the idea behind this mission seeks to achieve is to bridge that gap between education and employability,” the chief minister said.
He noted that the proposed mission recognizes the existing gap between the skills youth possess and the skills demanded by the market.
“This mission acknowledges that there is a gap between what we want and what we have. The challenge before us is how to fill that gap and at what stage we begin the process,” he said, adding that ideally skill development would begin from the early stages of schooling.
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary Tourism & PDD, Commissioner Secretary Planning, Development & Monitoring, Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce, Secretary Labour & Employment, Managing Director and CEO Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Vice Chancellors of all universities of Jammu and Kashmir, Directors of Indian Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Technology, senior professors and other concerned officials.
Emphasizing the importance of a large-scale and structured approach, the chief minister said Jammu and Kashmir must adopt a mission-mode framework to systematically address the skill deficit.
“Jammu and Kashmir needs to adopt a mission scale. We need to plug the gap between education and employability and identify the skills that are actually required in the job market,” he said.
Highlighting the rapidly evolving nature of modern employment, the chief minister said that skill requirements change quickly with technological advancements.
“What is required today may not be required tomorrow. You will require skills tomorrow that you haven’t even heard about today,” he observed.
Referring to emerging technologies, he noted how quickly innovations have reshaped everyday life.
“Three or four years ago, very few of us were talking about artificial intelligence. Perhaps those in institutions like IIT or IIM were, but for the rest of us, our idea of using intelligence on the internet was limited to search engines. None of us imagined the impact tools like ChatGPT or Gemini would have on our lives,” he said.
The chief minister appreciated the efforts of the concerned department in preparing the initial framework for the mission.
“The department has done an excellent job in putting this report together. It will certainly require some tweaking and consultation, but we must also be mindful about keeping the process efficient,” he said.
Calling for a clear implementation roadmap, the chief minister emphasized the need for defined timelines and resource planning.
“We must decide what we want to achieve over the next six months, one year, one and a half years and two years. Within the constraints we have, we need to identify the resources required and commit to them,” he said.
He further stressed the importance of collaboration with universities, academic institutions and the private sector to make the mission impactful and sustainable.
“We must determine how universities and other institutions will be involved and how we can effectively bring the private sector into this effort. Once that framework is in place, the mission can be rolled out in a structured manner,” he added.
Earlier, participants shared their feedback and suggestions to help refine the framework and ensure the successful implementation of Mission SKILL in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, Secretary Labour & Employment Kumar Rajeev Ranjan delivered a detailed presentation outlining the proposed action plan for skill development under Mission SKILL.
He highlighted the mission’s objectives, proposed institutional framework and phased implementation strategy aimed at equipping youth with industry-relevant skills. The presentation also emphasized aligning education with evolving market demands, strengthening collaboration between government, academic institutions and the private sector, and creating a sustainable ecosystem to enhance employability and entrepreneurship opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir.
