With nearly 50% of the population comprising Gen Z, creation of livelihoods and job opportunities remains the “biggest challenge” before the government, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma said on Wednesday while informing that the State is partnering with the Asian Development Bank for a major skill development push.
Addressing the Skillerate 2026 programme organised by the Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development, the Chief Minister said the State government had decided to design its own skill development architecture after finding that several centrally sponsored schemes did not always produce the “desired outcome”.
“Meghalaya is a young state where 50 percent of our population are below the age of 20 years, hence, a large number of jobs are to be created to sustain our economy. Every year we have a challenge of approximately 60 thousand individuals entering the workforce and, as we move further into the future, these numbers will go up,” Conrad Sangma said while addressing the Skillerate 2026 programme.
Sangma further said the programme was among the most important initiatives for the State government.
“Creation of livelihood and job opportunities is the biggest challenge for our government and for any other government,” he said.
Stating that the Government of India runs several programmes across the country, he said, “There are many programmes that are conducted by Government of India but, like many programmes of Government of India, which are made for the entire country, there are challenges in the state and hence, all central government programs sometimes do not lead to the desired outcome. Therefore, the state government has decided to come up with its own skill development programme, funded by us while partnering with Asian Development Bank.”
The Chief Minister said the government recognised that aspirations among young people were rapidly changing and that youths increasingly sought sustainable and dignified livelihoods. He also pointed to what he described as “forceful migration” of youths outside the State in search of employment opportunities.
“As Meghalaya Government is looking for better livelihood opportunities for the youths in the state, approximately around Rs 80 crores have been spent in the last three years, while different trainees were able to earn around Rs 150 crores during the same period. A dignified amount of money is being earned by individuals who have been trained,” he said.
Skillerate 2026 was organised as part of the State government’s efforts to strengthen skill development and entrepreneurship among youths in Meghalaya. The event was attended by Labour Minister Methodius Dkhar and senior officials of the department.
The Meghalaya government has in recent years intensified its focus on employability, entrepreneurship and market-linked training programmes amid concerns over unemployment and outward migration of skilled youths from the State.
