Shillong, May 13: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday rolled out four major skill development initiatives with focus on post-training support, aiming to bridge the gap between certification and actual employment.
Speaking at Skillerate 2026 held at NEHU, Shillong, Sangma said nearly 50 per cent of the state’s population is below the age of 20 and around 60,000 youth enter the workforce every year. “We decided to design our own skill programme — one that is funded by us, tailored to our requirements, and flexible enough to evolve as needed,” he said.
The flagship programmes — PROPEL, MEGASKILL, SHIELD and EQUIP — were launched under Skills Meghalaya during the event organised by the Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development in collaboration with the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS).
PROPEL, or Post-training Resources for Occupational Progress and Enhanced Livelihood, carries a total outlay of Rs 36 crore and is expected to benefit around 21,000 trainees. It will support certified youth through startup toolkits, mobility assistance, salary augmentation, marketing support and industry linkages.
MEGASKILL aims to prepare Meghalaya’s youth for district, national and international skill competitions, with an eye on the World Skills Competition in Japan in 2028. SHIELD will provide structured training and dignified employment in home care services, while EQUIP promotes inclusive skilling for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Sangma said the Meghalaya Skills Programme has invested around Rs 80 crore over the last three years and generated an estimated Rs150 crore in earnings for trained youth. He cited placements of tourism trainees at JW Marriott in Mumbai and Japanese-language trained nurses currently working in Japan as examples of successful outcomes.
Labour, Employment and Skill Development Minister Methodius Dkhar called the launch a major milestone in Meghalaya’s skilling journey and said the government remains committed to creating opportunities for the state’s youth.
MSSDS CEO Dr Vijay Kumar D said Meghalaya’s skilling ecosystem has expanded significantly since 2021, with nearly 150 local training partners and over 50,000 youth trained in the last five years.
