The first meeting of the Governing Council of Ladakh Skill Development Mission (LSDM) was chaired by Advisor Ladakh, Umang Narula also the Chairman of LSDM on June 7 at the UT Secretariat. 

Administrative Secretaries of various departments, members of the Governing Council including representatives of Directorate General of Training and National Skill Development Corporation were present in the meeting. 

Strategy to formulate and steer various skill development schemes and to bring necessary synergy, oversight and effective coordination in the implementation of various Skill development schemes across the Departments in UT Ladakh was discussed. The meeting also discussed the adoption of resolution by the Governing Council for registration of the Ladakh Skill Development Mission as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and a broad action plan for skill development for the year 2021-22.

The Chairman, Umang Narula said that the Mission can steer the implementation of various programmes of the central Government like PMKVY, Deendayal Upadhya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana(DDU-GKY)-Ministry of Rural Development, Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS): Ministry of Textiles, Hunar Sae Rozgartak: Ministry of Tourism, Deendayal Antyodya Yojana- National Urban Livelihood Mission -Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.

Secretary, Technical Education and Skill Development/Mission Director, LSDM, Padma Angmo informed that a dedicated team at different levels and monitoring committees have to be established, conduct need analysis, youth database, consult with stakeholders, build TP and SSDM capacity, organise workshop, organise Rozgar and Kaushal Mela etc.

Further, it was informed that under PMKVY 3.0 already some targets have been given to Ladakh in which around 186 targets under centrally sponsored and centrally managed scheme were for Leh and 160 for Kargil. Under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) category of PMKVY 3.0 Ladakh has been given a target of training 400 youth, 200 for Leh and 200 for Kargil district.

It was informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), District Skill Committees, DSCs in both the districts have been constituted under the Chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners/ CEO, LAHDCs to steer and monitor various skill training in the districts. Further a district-level skill development Plan (DSDP) will be prepared by the DSCs under the guidance of the State Skill Development Mission and that district-level skill information/service centres under the aegis of DSCs shall be required to be set up in each district. 

It was decided that decentralized skill training for Homestay owners and training for eco-tourism guides and various job roles under Jal Jeevan Mission may be taken up at the earliest.

Chief Programme Officer, NSDC, Vandana Bhatnagar said NDSC will extend all requisite support to LSDM to carry out its mandate and also extend special training modules. Director, RDSDE, Santimalan also shared that National Skill Training Institute, NSTI, operating from Polytechnic Leh will be imparting Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) in Solar Technician (Electrical) and Smartphone Technician cum App tester from this academic session (2021-22).