Srinagar: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) actively participated in a two-day conference on “Transforming Skilling Ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir,” organised by the Department of Skill Development, Government of Jammu & Kashmir, to deliberate on critical challenges and future strategies for skill development in the region.
The event, attended by top government officials, industry leaders and academia, saw KCCI Secretary General Faiz Ahmad Bakshi representing the chamber. Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo delivered the keynote address, while Secretary Skill Development Department Rajeev Ranjan presented a comprehensive overview of the current skilling scenario and future roadmap under the “Skilling for All” initiative.
Senior officials including Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Tourism, Principal Secretary Finance Santosh Vaidya, and Director Skill Development Shahzad Alam also addressed the sessions. The conference primarily focused on bridging the misalignment between training programs and actual industry needs, improving placement outcomes, and addressing fragmented governance in the skill ecosystem.
Speaking as a panellist, Faiz Ahmad Bakshi raised several pressing concerns about the prevailing state of skill development in Jammu & Kashmir. Citing the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) data indicating a 32.8% unemployment rate among youth aged 15-29 in J&K, he underscored the urgent need to modernise skill training to support India’s $5 trillion economic aspirations.
Bakshi noted that curricula at Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) are outdated and lag significantly behind global and national market requirements. “There is a glaring disconnect between what training institutions teach and what industries actually demand, which continues to fuel high unemployment despite the existence of numerous training programs,” he said.
He stressed that mere expansion in the number of training centres without improving the quality of training content would be ineffective. KCCI advocated for greater private sector involvement in designing and delivering programs to ensure industry-relevant skill training, which could enhance employability and placement outcomes.
Bakshi also highlighted the potential of developing district clusters integrated with skill development centres to generate employment. He pointed out that traditional handicrafts and cottage industries, heavily reliant on family-taught skills, urgently require upgrading to meet evolving market expectations. Similarly, he called for strengthening Tourism Development Authorities to leverage the tourism sector’s capacity for job creation, supported by targeted skill initiatives.
The conference was attended by a wide spectrum of stakeholders including Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Govind Jaiswal; representatives from NABARD, SIDBI, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, CII, Maruti Suzuki, Lalit Group, Wheebox India, JK Bank, Tata Group, FICCI, Tech Mahindra, NSDC, NITI Aayog, FCIK, along with Vice Chancellors and senior representatives from hospitality and manufacturing sectors.
The deliberations concluded with a shared understanding on the need for cohesive policies, robust industry linkages and better inter-departmental coordination to transform the skilling landscape in Jammu & Kashmir and secure sustainable livelihood opportunities for its youth.
