Calls for unlocking overseas employment opportunities for UT’s youth
Srinagar, Jul 07: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a high-level review meeting to assess the roadmap for the revival and operationalisation of the Jammu & Kashmir Overseas Employment Corporation Limited (JKOECL) and reviewed J&K’s overseas recruitment facilitation infrastructure, with a focus on creating a robust institutional framework to connect J&K’s skilled youth with global employment opportunities.
The meeting reviewed the proposed strategy for reviving JKOECL as the government’s nodal recruitment agency for facilitating safe, transparent and market-driven overseas employment. Discussions centred on strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding international partnerships, enhancing skill development aligned with global standards, and establishing an integrated ecosystem to prepare youth for overseas careers.
A detailed presentation by Director Employment J&K Harvinder Singh outlined a phased roadmap for operationalising JKOECL, including the creation of a digital overseas employment portal, partnerships with licensed recruiting agencies, foreign languages and international certification programmes, employer engagement, counselling, pre-departure orientation and post-placement support. The proposed framework seeks to position 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 & Kashmir, the region’s contribution to overseas remittances, and employment opportunities available through 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 public awareness of legal migration channels, inadequate institutional outreach, dependence on unverified social media information, and the need to develop skills that meet international standards.
Reviewing the proposals, the Chief Minister emphasised that the objective should not merely be to facilitate migration but to prepare a globally competitive workforce.
“We should not only send people abroad; we should send skilled people there. Our focus should be on skilling,” he said.
The Chief Minister directed the concerned departments to prepare a time-bound implementation plan and convert the proposed pillars into clearly defined, actionable outcomes. He also called for adopting best practices from states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have successfully institutionalised overseas employment facilitation.
Emphasising long-term sustainability, Omar Abdullah directed that the forthcoming Industrial Policy should provide for the establishment of skill development and training institutes to nurture an ecosystem capable of meeting international workforce requirements. He also stressed the need for a complementary industrial policy that encourages greater private sector participation in skill development and employment generation.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Education Sakina Itoo, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Shailendra Kumar, Commissioner Secretary School Education Ram Niwas Sharma, Secretary Labour & Employment Rajiv Ranjan, Protector of Emigration, Chandigarh, Ministry of External Affairs, Yashu Deep Singh, Director Employment, Director Skill Development and other senior officers.
