Uttarakhand News: Will skill development increase employment in the villages of Uttarakhand? Will migration of youth be reduced? Will local entrepreneurship get a new boost? Will the benefits of the schemes reach faster with better coordination of departments? Important strategies on rural livelihood, skill development and employment generation were discussed in the NABARD workshop.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) organized a special workshop along with the first Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting of the financial year 2026-27 in Dehradun on Friday. The main objective of this workshop was to reduce the skill gap related to local livelihood in rural areas of Uttarakhand and to strengthen employment and self-employment opportunities for the youth.
The theme of the workshop was ‘Bridging the skill gap for local livelihoods in rural Uttarakhand: District-level strategies for enterprise promotion and migration reduction’.
Event organized in NABARD office, participation of many departments
The program organized at NABARD’s regional office in IT Park, Dehradun was inaugurated by Pankaj Yadav, Chief General Manager, NABARD. Representatives from various government departments, financial institutions and development organizations participated in the program.
Representatives of SLBC, UKSRLM, KVIC, KVIB, Agriculture and Horticulture Department, Uttarakhand Gramin Bank, UKSTCB, Rural Development Department and various Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) attended the meeting. Meanwhile, KVIC Director Dr. Sanjeev Roy registered his participation through virtual medium.
Emphasis on employment and entrepreneurship for rural youth
Dr. Prabhakar C. Bebani, Chief Operating Officer of DDU-GKY had a special presence in the program. He stressed the need for effective strategies at the district level for skill development of rural youth, employment generation and prevention of migration.
Appreciating the various initiatives run by NABARD in Uttarakhand, he said that schemes like skill development training, micro enterprise development programme, livelihood enterprise development program and marketing assistance are playing an important role in making the rural youth self-reliant.
Discussion on better coordination between departments
During the meeting, experts stressed the need for better coordination between various departments and institutions. He suggested that if all the concerned departments work in a coordinated manner, better results can be achieved in promoting entrepreneurship, reducing rural migration, effective implementation of government schemes and delivering integrated services to the beneficiaries. Experts also stressed on convergence of various schemes to promote sustainable development and create employment opportunities at the local level.
Pledge to increase rural prosperity by reducing skills gap
It was also discussed in the meeting that new employment and self-employment opportunities can be created for the youth by promoting skill development programs as per local needs in rural areas of Uttarakhand. This will not only strengthen the rural economy but will also reduce the problem of migration.
NABARD reiterated on this occasion that it will continue to work towards empowering the rural youth through skill development, training and employment oriented programmes. The aim of the organization is to increase sustainable employment opportunities in rural areas, encourage economic prosperity and ensure balanced development.