The central government has from time to time developed certain programmes for the youth of Jammu and Kashmir which can help them with their communication skills, basic knowledge of computers, and one core course in either hospitality, logistics, retail, or IT. The programs needed UDAAN and Himayat were the need of the hour back then as much as they are now. These programs helped the youth of the valley to get acquainted with the basic requirements of the corporate sector so they can gain a foothold at entry-level jobs in the corporate companies located in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Chennai, and Bengaluru.
While our school pass-outs and college pass-outs may have substantial quotient when it comes to mainstream education but they definitely lack the,” now and here” communication and behavior skills demanded by the corporate offices of the current time. For example, our Bachelor in humanities may have all the knowledge of his core subjects but he has little idea about how to write a formal corporate email, how to face an interview, shortcuts of MS Excel, and the requisite typing speed on the keyboard. It was this hands-on knowledge, little but hugely significant, that added the missing link between a knowledgeable Kashmiri candidate and his job prospects in the vast sea of Indian corporations.
There was a process of mobilization in which through door-to-door campaigns the prospective candidates were wooed for these programs and then students based on the blueprint of the itinerary were either trained in a Kashmir-based training centre and then taken for placement to the main Indian metropolitan cities. The travel, stay and food accommodation were all paid for by the Project implementation agencies. These training centers were located in places like Baramulla, Wagoora, Kangan, Ganderbal, Uri, Tangdhar, Budgam, Chadoora, Anantnag, Shopian, and Pulwama. The candidate did not have to travel much to reach these centres besides the daily travelling allowance was also provided for by the Project Implementation Agency.
The need of the hour is to initiate more such programs for the benefit of our students. The youth of Kashmir, both from towns and villages, need such programs so that they fetch themselves an entry-level job in the corporate offices of India.
