JK to expand job opportunities for youths: CM

Jammu, Jan 30 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir governmentis working towards expanding the orbit of employmentopportunities for the youths in the state, Chief Minister OmarAbdullah has announced here.

"I am here to create opportunities for your career andfacilitate in all respects in this direction. But it is up toyou to grab the chances and be successful," Omar said hereyesterday as he handed placement orders to 273 job seekersselected by 19 private sector companies at an employment fair.

"You should come forward to compete for better andlucrative jobs in private sector," he said, adding, there wasa need to change the perception that government jobs were abetter option.

The Chief Minister claimed that after completing hiseducation, he has himself gone through the phase of anxietyfor job as they the youths were going through.

He also said the government was providing "substantialamount of seed money, technical guidance and support to thebudding entrepreneurs under Sher-e-Kashmir Employment andWelfare Programme for Youth (SKEWPY)".

This programme needs to be taken advantage of by youngentrepreneurs as losses, if any, would be borne by the state,he said.

He also referred to the state government''s SkillsDevelopment Mission that aims to impart training in varioustrade skills to 16,000 youths in two years at polytechnic andITI institutes across the country and flagged-off the firstbatch of 180 boys and girls for such training.

A ITI in each block and 18 new polytechnic institutesare being established to provide necessary training base forthe youth in the state itself, Omar said.