The Department of Skill Development, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, successfully concluded a two-day National Conference on “Transforming the Skilling Ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir,” held on July 16–17, 2025, in Srinagar.
The event brought together over 100 key stakeholders from across India, including senior government officials, industry leaders, academic experts, civil society members, and skilling professionals, to outline a unified, outcome-driven roadmap for skilling in J&K.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, delivering the keynote address, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to building sustainable skilling pathways aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat. He stressed the importance of aligning skill development with youth aspirations and evolving economic demands, terming the conference a platform for formulating a robust “Skill Vision Plan” for the region.
He emphasized active industry participation in co-developing curricula and advocated for introducing vocational education at school and college levels. Quoting, “The illiterate of the future will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn,” Dulloo underlined the need for adaptability.
Secretary, Department of Skill Development, Rajeev Ranjan, noted that the core challenge today is not unemployment but unemployability. He stressed the alignment of workforce skills with real-time market needs and called for integration between curriculum design and delivery mechanisms.
Director Skill Development, Shahzad Alam, played a key role in steering the conference and ensuring broad cross-sectoral participation to advance a holistic vision of skilling in J&K.
Conference highlights included strategic panel discussions on topics such as market needs versus skill gaps, systemic reforms, innovation, tech integration, skilling for entrepreneurship, and curriculum future-readiness. Sector-wise skill-gap analyses and public-private partnership models were also explored.
A key outcome of the conference was a structured consultation on a visionary roadmap titled “Skills for All”, targeting students, women, and rural youth. The roadmap aims to position Jammu & Kashmir as a national leader in outcome-based, inclusive, and innovation-driven skilling.
Planned initiatives include a proposed Skills University, digital platform integration, promotion of green and emerging jobs, and enhanced collaboration with MSMEs and entrepreneurial networks.