Shillong, May 13: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday launched four major skill development initiatives under Skills Meghalaya during the Skillerate 2026 programme held at NEHU, Shillong, aimed at strengthening employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities for the youth of the State.
The initiatives — PROPEL, MEGASKILL, SHIELD and EQUIP — were unveiled during the programme organised by the Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development in collaboration with Skills Meghalaya and the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS).
PROPEL will provide post-training support to youth through startup toolkits, mobility support, salary augmentation, marketing assistance and industry linkages, with a total outlay of ₹36 crore. The initiative is expected to benefit around 21,000 trainees.
MEGASKILL aims to prepare youth for district, national and international skill competitions, culminating in participation at the WorldSkills Competition in Japan in 2028. SHIELD focuses on training, certification and placement support in homecare services, while EQUIP seeks to promote inclusive skilling for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma described livelihood generation as the State’s biggest challenge, noting that nearly 50 per cent of Meghalaya’s population is below the age of 20 and around 60,000 youth enter the workforce annually.
He said the State adopted a locally designed skilling model to address Meghalaya-specific requirements, while also acknowledging support from the Asian Development Bank-backed externally aided project.
Highlighting the impact of the programme, the Chief Minister said thousands of youth have already benefited through training and employment opportunities. He cited examples of trained tourism youth placed at JW Marriott in Mumbai and nurses working in Japan after language training.
Sangma also stressed the importance of flexibility in the skilling ecosystem, stating that youth should be able to choose between local employment, opportunities in Indian cities or overseas jobs based on their aspirations.
He said the government had identified a gap between skill training and livelihood generation, leading to the introduction of startup toolkits for trained beneficiaries. According to him, nearly ₹24 crore will be spent on trade-specific toolkits for tour guides, plumbers, technicians and other skilled workers.
The Chief Minister further stated that approximately ₹80 crore had been invested in the Meghalaya Skills Programme over the past three years, generating an estimated ₹150 crore in earnings by trained youth.
Labour, Employment and Skill Development Minister Methodius Dkhar described the launch of the four initiatives as a major milestone in Meghalaya’s skilling journey and reiterated the government’s commitment to empowering youth through skill development.
MSSDS CEO Dr. Vijay Kumar D said over 50,000 youth have been trained across Meghalaya in the last five years, with nearly 30,000 receiving certification.
The programme also featured the distribution of work orders and startup toolkits to beneficiaries, screening of a short film on MSSDS achievements, and participation from government officials, industry stakeholders, trainees and entrepreneurs.
