With nearly half of Meghalaya’s population below the age of 20 and around 60,000 young people entering the workforce every year, the Government of Meghalaya, on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious expansion of its skilling ecosystem, positioning skill development as central to the State’s economic future.
At the ‘Skillerate 2026’ event organised by the Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development along with the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) and Skills Meghalaya at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), the State launched four flagship schemes aimed at bridging the gap between training and employment, while also expanding support for entrepreneurship, global placements and inclusive skilling.
Shri Conrad K. Sangma, Hon’ble Chief Minister, reflected upon Meghalaya’s demographic profile and stated how it is both an opportunity and a challenge, with the State requiring large-scale job creation to sustain its economy in the coming years.
Shri Sangma stated, “Having a younger population, even when we compare it with rest of the country poses many more challenges compared to other parts of the country, Meghalaya is a young state where 50% of our population is below the age of 20; and hence large number of jobs must be created to sustain our economy.”
Hon’ble Chief Minister added, “Every year we have a challenge of approximately 60,000 individuals entering the workforce. And as we move further into the future, this number will keep going up. And that it is why, this programme is one of the most important programmes that we have. He also added, “We realise that our youth have different aspirations – Some aspire to be back in their villages with their families, others to go abroad, or to other Indian cities, but each of them wish to be able to get a decent livelihood. And the structure of Meghalaya Skills Programme provides an opportunity for everyone.”
Referring to successful placement outcomes, Hon’ble Chief Minister cited the example of youth trained in Shillong securing jobs at JW Marriott in Mumbai, while around 30 nurses from Meghalaya are currently employed in Japan. “Our objective is to avoid any form of forceful migration to get jobs,” he said.
A major focus of this year’s programme is post-training support. Shri Sangma announced that nearly 21,000 trainees would receive startup toolkits worth approximately ₹24 crore, with each toolkit valued at around ₹9,000.
The toolkit distribution forms part of PROPEL (Post-training Resources for Occupational Progress and Enhanced Livelihood), one of the four programmes launched, today. The four major programmes which were launched include PROPEL, MEGASKILL, SHIELD and EQUIP.
• PROPEL: Meghalaya announced a major post-training support package under PROPEL, including ₹36 crore for startup toolkits, ₹3 crore for mobility support, ₹10 crore for salary augmentation and ₹1 crore for market and industry linkages to help skilled youth transition into sustainable livelihoods.
• MEGASKILL: The State will identify and mentor talented youth for the WorldSkills Competition 2028 in Japan through district and State-level competitions, with selected candidates receiving advanced training, cash incentives and full sponsorship.
• SHIELD: A new caregiving and home-support initiative, SHIELD aims to professionalise the care economy through structured training, certification and placement support, opening employment avenues in local, national and international markets.
• EQUIP: Focused on inclusive skilling, EQUIP targets vulnerable groups including children in institutional care, persons with disabilities, inmates, domestic workers and marginalised labour communities through specialised training and rehabilitation-linked interventions.
Shri Methodius Dkhar, Hon’ble Minister of Labour, Employment & Skills Development said the State’s skilling push was ultimately about converting the aspirations of young people into sustainable livelihoods and entrepreneurship. He also urged the youth to embrace the dignity of labour and not feel discouraged by small beginnings.
Speaking at the event, MSSDS CEO Dr Vijay Kumar D., IAS, said Meghalaya’s skilling ecosystem underwent a major shift after the Covid-19 pandemic, when the State moved beyond implementing centrally or externally sponsored programmes and created its own State-level skilling policy.
The government consciously shifted focus from outside training agencies to local training providers, resulting in the growth of nearly 150 local training providers across Meghalaya. Each of these centres now employs between five and 50 people, collectively generating an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 jobs.
Over the last five years, more than 50,000 youth have been trained across different sectors in Meghalaya, with nearly 30,000 receiving certifications that have enabled them to pursue both self-employment and formal jobs.
Notably, today’s highlights also marked the rollout of 2,500 start-up toolkits to trainees who were trained and certified under the MSSDS programme across the districts of EKH, WKH, EWKH, SWKH, WJH, EJH, and Ri-Bhoi. This distribution forms a crucial component of the new post-training support scheme, PROPEL, which aims to empower trainees towards self-reliance and entrepreneurship. The initiative further reinforces the Mission’s belief that skill development does not merely end with the completion of training, but continues through sustained support and livelihood enablement
Meghalaya Bets on Skills Economy as 60,000 Youth Enter Workforce Every Year
