*Urges tie-up of SHGs with ITIs/Polytechnics
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 15: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired a meeting to review the functioning of Skill Development Department.
Principal Secretary, Skill Development, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon; MD, NHM and other senior officers of the department attended the meeting.
Principal Secretary informed that around 21000 candidates have been skilled by the various ITIs/polytechnics during the year and that efforts are going on to integrate with industry to impart industry specific skills to enhance the employability of the trainees.
Stating that various vocational institutes in J&K are imparting quality training, Dr Samoon stated that students even from IIT, Jammu and NIIT, Srinagar have been/ are being skilled/trained by these technical institutes.
Dr Samoon informed that two centres of excellence at Kathua and Budgam have been established, which will help make the youth of the UT future ready for a range of jobs in the UT and beyond.
Giving details of the polytechnics operating in the UT, it was informed that out of 22 polytechnics in J&K, 18 polytechnics are operating out of their own buildings while the remaining polytechnics are housed in the rented buildings.
It was further informed that 32 ITIs have been upgraded through PPP and that they have performed well by all accounts in comparison to the other government run ITIs.
Dr Samoon asked for funds for completion of the ongoing construction of 4 polytechnics, besides seeking fast track recruitment of faculty members in these polytechnics.
It was informed that 720 posts of different categories are vacant in the newly established polytechnics
It was informed that under ‘Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0,’ against a target of 2500 allocated by MSDE, GoI, 1568 candidates have been given class room training and their on job training is presently underway.
It was further informed that National Health Mission has been empanelled as a training partner and its affiliated hospitals/AMT schools/Nursing colleges are the training centres for imparting training.
While stating that polytechnics in J&K have to work through convergent actions for better utilization of available resources, the Chief Secretary asked the department to initiate time table and course content convergence of various polytechnics to impart training through virtual means.
Dr Mehta asked the department to examine whether credits earned by the candidates in various polytechnics/ITIs in J&K are acknowledged by the institutes where these candidates may enrol for higher courses.
He asked the department to examine the UGC/AICTE guidelines in this regard and advised them that in case there is no provision for credit acknowledgement/consideration by the institutes teaching higher courses, the same should be examined for suitable action on the part of the government.
While stating that there are around 60000 SHGs in the UT, Dr Mehta asked the department to explore the possibility of skilling/upskilling the members of these SHGs in these institutes through customized courses/ apprenticeship trainings for enhancing their entrepreneurial skills for improved incomes.
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