Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Skill Development Mission (JKSDM) Thursday held an online interaction session with leading Indian fashion designer, Nikhil Mehta under the ‘COVID-19: Let’s Skill IT online’ programme.
Mehta, who is also the owner of the leading fashion chain “Ashmina” delivered an online talk to the over 100 youth of J&K on employment, entrepreneurship and highlighted the available opportunities in fashion and retail industry at national and international level, a statement issued by the JKSDM said.

While interacting with the candidates, Mehta told them that he had a strong connection with Kashmir’s art and craft especially Pashmina.
He said that he had used designs inspired from Kashmir’s splendid art and style in his recent fashion show.
Apart from answering the relevant queries of the candidates, Mehta also encouraged youth to avail entrepreneurship opportunities and focus on establishing their own startups.

The inaugural session of Thursday’s programme was attended by Director, Skill Development Department, Sajad Hussain Ganai, Mission Director, J&K Skill Development Mission, Peer Ghulam Nabi Suhail, Vice President, Zomato-India, Mohammad Mutaher and other senior officers of JKSDM.
Around 100 candidates with background of retail, tailoring and beauty therapy sector attended the programme, the JKSDM statement said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the JKSDM, under its special skill programme amid the prevailing COVID-19 lockdown, is providing online training to around 1100 candidates on various skill sets such as cyber security, GST, tailoring skills (Masks and PPEs), internet web designing, front office operations in hospitality sector, beauty makeup etc.
Candidates including professionals, home makers, unemployed youth and students pursuing professional courses are receiving training for these courses in JKSDM affiliated institutions namely Amargyan Institute of Computer Sciences and Technology, Evergreen Computer Institute, Sri Sri Kaushal Vikas Kendra, Sampark Global and Zain-ul-abideen Computer Training Centre, National Institute of Technical Trainings, Infotech Institute of IT, Wyath Multi-Skills School, Super Computer College, GKIETR, Falkan Skill School and Gyan Institute of Vocational Trainings. Besides, daily class by instructors, the candidates are also getting an opportunity to interact with reputed industry experts.

Since COVID-19 had closed all closed academic and technical institutions including skill training centres, as such online training courses were initiated by the Mission aimed to make productive use of time of people of J&K during current lockdown viz-a-viz imparting skills beneficial to the people.

Earlier on June 2, Principal Secretary to the Government, School Education Department and Skill Development Department Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon e-launched the second batch of JKSDM ‘COVID-19: Let’s sKill IT online’ programme at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar.

Reader correspondent