Tura (Meghalaya), May 21: Meghalaya moved from training to earning as Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma unveiled work orders worth over ₹16.59 crore and gave start-up toolkits to 798 youth at Skillerate 2026, aiming to plug the gap between skills and self-employment.
Addressing a packed gathering at Holly Hocks near BAKDIL Training Centre, Sangma said the state has invested over ₹32 crore in skill programmes but discovered a hard truth: certificates alone don’t pay bills. “Many trained individuals told us they lacked the basic tools to begin working independently. An automobile technician may complete training, but without a toolkit, opening a workshop becomes extremely difficult,” he said. “This is about creating dignity, confidence, and livelihood.”
The event, run by the Labour, Employment & Skill Development Department with the CM Skills Mission and Meghalaya State Skill Development Society, saw 34 work orders cleared to train 4,830 youth under Skills Meghalaya and SHCDM. The average spend: ₹34,359 per trainee.
To ensure graduates can start day one, the government handed out tools worth ₹44.72 lakh covering plumbing, auto service, masonry, mobile repair, gardening, farming systems, and mushroom cultivation.
Sangma linked the push to Meghalaya’s economic surge, now among India’s fastest-growing states. “Growth alone is not enough if the benefits do not reach every household, every youth, every farmer, every worker, and every entrepreneur,” he said.
Labour Minister Methodius Dkhar called skill development “a bridge between potential and purpose.” He rolled out four new drives — PROPEL, MEGASKILL, SHIELD, and EQUIP — targeting livelihoods, overseas jobs, caregiving, and inclusive skilling. Dkhar also spotlighted BOCW welfare: scholarships from Class I to college, maternity aid, and ₹3,000 monthly pension for construction workers over 60.
In a higher-education boost, Sangma announced two new colleges under Captain Williamson Sangma State University: an Agriculture, Horticulture, and Food Processing college in Williamnagar with classes slated for 2027, and a Veterinary College at Kyrdemkulai, Ri-Bhoi. Architecture and Urban Planning courses have also been cleared.
He said food processing is already tying farmers to industry, with over one lakh ice creams made daily from local produce. “This is how growth becomes meaningful — when farmers, workers, youth, and entrepreneurs directly benefit,” Sangma said.
Deputy Commissioner Vibhor Aggarwal opened the programme, while beneficiaries and training partners shared stories of jobs and start-ups sparked by MSSDS and Skills Meghalaya.
Closing the event, the CM urged officials to treat public service as mission, not routine: “Let us not look at our duties merely as jobs, but as opportunities to make a lasting difference.”
