Jammu, Jan 06: In a decisive step towards preparing J&K for emerging employment opportunities and future economies, the Skill Development Department on Tuesday presented a comprehensive and forward-looking roadmap to Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo to transform the skilling ecosystem of the Union Territory. An official statement issued here said that the high-level meeting was attended by Vice-Chancellors of local universities, Director IIM Jammu, Managing Director J&K Bank, Secretary Education, Managing Director Skill Mission, and representatives from premier institutions including IIT, NIFT and other reputed academic and professional bodies, reflecting a whole-of-institution approach to skilling reforms. While reviewing the roadmap, the Chief Secretary emphasised exploring the concept of Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in J&K to create better, high-quality employment opportunities. He also suggested developing fellowship programmes to build a strong pool of skilled human resources within the UT, capable of meeting global and national workforce demands. Appreciating the overall framework, the Chief Secretary noted that the plan incorporates all essential constituents required for skilling different sections of the population, making it inclusive, comprehensive and forward-looking. However, he stressed that the roadmap must be made more practical, outcome-driven and implementable, with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for all participating institutions, including national-level institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NITs, Universities, SKIMS and other professional institutions. Highlighting employability as the central objective, the Chief Secretary underscored the importance of strong industry–academia linkages to ensure skilling programmes are market-aligned, job-oriented and future-ready. He further directed that the roadmap be circulated among stakeholders, including universities, academic institutions and concerned government departments, for suggestions to strengthen the final document and maximise outcomes. Presenting the roadmap, Secretary, Skill Development Department, Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, informed that the plan will be implemented over the next five years, aiming to empower individuals across J&K through industry-aligned skilling, inclusive growth, enhanced employability and long-term economic resilience. Elaborating on the vision, the Secretary stated that the overarching goal is to enable every individual in J&K to secure a gainful livelihood through market-relevant skills, unlocking opportunities in both present and future economies. The roadmap envisages exposure to skilling for 6–7 lakh school students, structured skill courses for 2–2.5 lakh college students, and technical or short-term skilling for 5–6 lakh youth and working-age individuals, thereby institutionalising lifelong learning across relevant trades. The roadmap is structured around four integrated tracks, each addressing a distinct stage of the skilling and employment lifecycle. Detailing the implementation strategy, Director, Skill Development Department, Shahzad Alam, said the first track, Foundational Skilling in Schools, focuses on compulsory exposure to vocational and 21st-century skills for students from Classes 6 to 12. Students will be introduced to trades, services, the digital economy, local entrepreneurship and workplace readiness through structured modules, exposure visits, school-level skill hackathons and psychometric career assessments. Dedicated coordinators, mobile skilling vans, SCERT-led teacher training and school-level skilling committees will support implementation. The second track, Career Launchpad in Colleges, targets college students, senior secondary pass-outs and fresh graduates through minor skilling courses, summer internships, finishing school modules and accessible coaching for competitive examinations such as JEE and NEET. Stackable, high-demand courses will be delivered in blended mode, with academic credits, internship stipends and structured placement support bridging the gap between education and employment. The third track, Industry-Ready Technical Skilling, focuses on strengthening ITIs, polytechnics and technical institutions through a hub-and-spoke model, diversified course offerings, dual systems of training and flexible entry-exit pathways aligned with NSQF levels. Polytechnics are proposed to evolve into a J&K Skills University framework, supported by centres of excellence, faculty development programmes, infrastructure upgrades and stronger apprenticeship linkages with MSMEs. The fourth track, Upskilling and Lifelong Learning, addresses the skilling needs of the existing workforce and the informal sector. It promotes mid-career upgradation, short-term skilling convergence and competitive examination preparation under the Lakshya Scheme, with special focus on the 30–45 age group. Recognition of prior learning for artisans, entrepreneurial skill development and district-level model skill centres, supported by vouchers, loans and scholarships, form key components of this track. The Chief Secretary was also briefed on the proposal for a unified, end-to-end job listing platform for the youth of J&K, integrating international, national and UT-level opportunities. The platform aims to address fragmented job ecosystems, improve job discovery and tracking, create a verified talent pool and unlock overseas employment potential. For international recruitment, a structured strategy has been proposed, including migrant resource and foreign language centres, youth preference mapping, partnerships with global recruitment agencies, and end-to-end visa and contract facilitation. Successful models from Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Meghalaya were cited, with scope for collaboration through a proposed J&K Overseas Employment Corporation.