Omar reviews revival plan for J&K Overseas Employment Corporation

08/07/2026

SRINAGAR, Jul 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday reviewed the roadmap for the revival and operationalisation of the Jammu and Kashmir Overseas Employment Corporation Limited (JKOECL) and directed the Labour and Employment Department to create greater overseas employment opportunities for the Union Territory's youth through skill development and institutional support.
Chairing a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister reviewed the proposed strategy to revive JKOECL as the government's nodal agency for facilitating safe, transparent and market-driven overseas employment.
The meeting discussed measures to strengthen institutional mechanisms, expand international partnerships, align skill development programmes with global standards and establish an integrated ecosystem to prepare youth for overseas careers.
Director Employment Harvinder Singh gave a presentation outlining a phased plan for operationalising JKOECL. The proposal includes the development of a digital overseas employment portal, partnerships with licensed recruiting agencies, foreign language training, international certification programmes, employer engagement, counselling, pre-departure orientation and post-placement support.
Officials said the corporation would coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs, the Protector of Emigration, Indian Missions abroad, skill development institutions and licensed recruiting agencies to ensure transparent and legally compliant overseas recruitment.
Yashu Deep Singh, Protector of Emigration, Chandigarh, also made a presentation on emigration trends from Jammu and Kashmir, overseas employment opportunities available under India's labour mobility agreements with various countries and the challenges faced by job seekers.
He highlighted sector-wise demand for skilled workers and pointed to issues such as limited public awareness of legal migration channels, inadequate institutional outreach, dependence on unverified social media information and the need to equip youth with skills that meet international standards.
Reviewing the proposals, Omar Abdullah said the government's objective should be to create a globally competitive workforce rather than merely facilitating migration.
"We should not only send people abroad; we should send skilled people there. Our focus should be on skilling," the Chief Minister said.
He directed the concerned departments to prepare a time-bound implementation plan with clearly defined outcomes and asked officials to adopt best practices from states such as Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which have established institutional mechanisms for overseas employment facilitation.
The Chief Minister also directed that the forthcoming Industrial Policy should provide for the establishment of skill development and training institutes capable of meeting international workforce requirements. He emphasised the need for greater private sector participation in skill development and employment generation.
The meeting was attended by Education Minister 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 and Employment Rajiv Ranjan, Protector of Emigration Yashu Deep Singh, Director Employment Harvinder Singh, Director Skill Development and other senior officers.

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