CM Abdullah reviews roadmap to revive JK overseas employment corporation

Srinagar, Jul 7 (PTI) Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said Jammu and Kashmir should focus on creating a globally competitive workforce instead of merely facilitating migration, as he reviewed the roadmap for reviving the Jammu and Kashmir Overseas Employment Corporation Limited (JKOECL). Chairing a high-level review meeting on the revival and operationalisation of JKOECL, Abdullah assessed J&K's overseas recruitment facilitation infrastructure and stressed the need for a robust institutional framework to ensure safe, transparent and market-driven overseas employment, an official spokesman said. Reviewing the proposals, the chief minister said, "We should not only send people abroad; we should send skilled people there. Our focus should be on skilling." The meeting reviewed a strategy to revive JKOECL as the government's nodal recruitment agency for overseas employment, with discussions focusing on strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding international partnerships, aligning skill development with global standards, and creating an integrated ecosystem to prepare youth for international careers. A detailed presentation by Director Employment J&K Harvinder Singh outlined a phased roadmap for operationalising JKOECL. The plan includes a digital overseas employment portal, partnerships with licensed recruiting agencies, foreign language and international certification programmes, employer engagement, counselling, pre-departure orientation and post-placement support. According to the spokesman, the proposed framework envisages JKOECL as the nodal agency coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Protector of Emigration, Indian missions abroad, skill institutions and licensed recruiting agencies to ensure ethical, transparent and legally compliant overseas recruitment. Protector of Emigration, Chandigarh, Ministry of External Affairs, Yashu Deep Singh, also made a presentation on emigration trends from Jammu and Kashmir, the region's contribution to overseas remittances, and employment opportunities available under India's labour mobility agreements with several countries. He highlighted sector-wise demand for workers, emerging job roles in global markets and key challenges affecting overseas migration from J&K, including limited awareness of legal migration channels, inadequate institutional outreach, dependence on unverified social media information and the need to develop skills that meet international standards. The chief minister directed the concerned departments to prepare a time-bound implementation plan and translate the proposed pillars into clearly defined, actionable outcomes. He also called for adopting best practices from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have successfully institutionalised overseas employment facilitation. Emphasising long-term sustainability, Abdullah directed that the forthcoming Industrial Policy should provide for skill development and training institutes to build an ecosystem capable of meeting international workforce requirements. He also stressed the need for a complementary industrial policy encouraging greater private sector participation in skill development and employment generation. PTI SSB NB NB