Dr Niyaz Ahmad Naikoo
drniyaznaik@gmail.com
A significant structural transformation is underway in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir. With the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the rollout of the Holistic Skill Development Plan (HSDP), the region is working to dismantle a decades-old barrier: the rigid divide between academic education and industry employability. Officials from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and NITI Aayog have pointed out that “weak integration with industries” continues to remain a critical bottleneck.
The missing link in this ambitious architecture is the formal and systemic integration of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with Sector Skill Councils (SSCs). For Jammu & Kashmir to transition from being a consumer of degrees to a producer of a globally competitive workforce, this partnership is not merely beneficial-it is essential.
The Current Landscape
J&K’s administrative machinery has demonstrated a clear and proactive awareness of the region’s skilling deficit; however, a critical implementation gap persists. While policy documents repeatedly acknowledge the importance of “industry-relevant certification,” there is still no dedicated, institutionalised framework within the Higher Education Department to systematically align curricula and accredit students through the very bodies that define and validate industry competency standards in India; namely, the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs).
The Sector Skill Council Advantage: Why They Are the Ideal Partner
Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), established under the aegis of the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), serve as the national custodians of industry-led Occupational Standards, defining in precise and measurable terms what it truly means to be “skilled” within a given sector. A strong example is the collaboration between the Telangana State Council of Higher Education and the IT-ITeS Sector Skills Council (NASSCOM), where the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is designed to systematically up-skill learners through structured micro-learning modules and deep-skilling programmes in high-demand domains such as Embedded Software Development and Cyber-security, thereby transforming conventional graduates into job-ready, deployable industry assets.
These examples illustrate a fundamental truth: certification carries weight only when it is backed by the industry it serves. An academic grade in “Computer Applications” is not a substitute for a certification from the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India (ESSCI)
Why J&K’s HEIs Specifically Need SSCs
The integration with SSCs addresses three distinct vulnerabilities currently plaguing J&K’s higher education ecosystem:
The Problem of Curricula
In an era marked by rapid technological disruption and continuously evolving job roles, universities often find it difficult to revise curricula with the speed and precision demanded by industry due to lengthy academic and administrative processes; in contrast, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) as industry-led bodies operate in real-time, regularly updating Occupational Standards, qualification packs and skill frameworks to align with current market realities and emerging workforce requirements.
Employability Assurance vs. Academic Completion
At present, a student in Jammu & Kashmir typically completes a course, but that completion does not always translate into verified employability. With structured SSC integration, however, the same student would not merely finish a syllabus but would qualify against nationally benchmarked Occupational Standards, backed by an industry-validated quality-assurance mechanism. SSC certifications carry formal recognition across sectoral employers and industry chambers-many of which have already participated in J&K’s skilling conferences-thereby converting academic learning into credible, job-linked credentials.
Trainer Competency Gap
Without trainers, even the best-designed frameworks will not succeed and this is precisely where Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) become indispensable, as they are formally mandated to conduct Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) and trainer up-skilling initiatives aligned with current industry practices. Through systematic integration with SSCs, a instructor in Jammu & Kashmir can gain structured industry exposure, certification and pedagogical training comparable to their counterpart in Delhi or any other major academic hub-ensuring that the quality of teaching keeps pace with the evolving demands of the labour market.
The Roadmap: From Silos to Synergy
To achieve this “Essential Integration,” Jammu & Kashmir must move beyond isolated, event-driven MoUs and instead adopt a formal, system-level mandate that embeds Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) into the higher education ecosystem as a permanent institutional partner. Drawing from successful national models and aligned with J&K’s stated skilling and employability objectives.
(The author is Head of Department, Biotechnology Govt. Degree College Pulwama)
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