Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma says nearly 60,000 youth enter Meghalaya’s workforce every year, making livelihood creation the state’s biggest challenge
Shillong, May 13: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday launched four major skill development initiatives aimed at strengthening employment, entrepreneurship and livelihood opportunities for the youth of the state during Skillerate 2026 held at NEHU in Shillong.
The flagship programmes — PROPEL, MEGASKILL, SHIELD and EQUIP — were launched under Skills Meghalaya as part of the state government’s effort to build a stronger and more inclusive skilling ecosystem. The event was organised by the Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development in collaboration with the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS).
Among the initiatives, PROPEL (Post-training Resources for Occupational Progress and Enhanced Livelihood) has been designed to support trained youth after certification through startup toolkits, mobility assistance, salary augmentation, marketing support and industry linkages. The programme carries a total outlay of ₹36 crore and is expected to benefit around 21,000 trainees.
MEGASKILL aims to prepare Meghalaya’s youth for district, national and international skill competitions, culminating in participation in the WorldSkills Competition in Japan in 2028, while SHIELD focuses on structured training and dignified employment in home care services. EQUIP has been introduced to promote inclusive skilling for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma described livelihood creation as the “biggest challenge” facing the state, noting that nearly 50 per cent of Meghalaya’s population is below the age of 20 and around 60,000 youth enter the workforce every year.
“We decided to design our own skill programme — one that is funded by us, tailored to our requirements, and flexible enough to evolve as needed,” the Chief Minister said, highlighting the need for state-specific interventions in skill development.
He said the Meghalaya Skills Programme has invested around ₹80 crore over the last three years and generated an estimated ₹150 crore in earnings for trained youth. Sangma also highlighted successful placements, including tourism trainees at JW Marriott in Mumbai and nurses trained in the Japanese language currently working in Japan.
Labour, Employment and Skill Development Minister Methodius Dkhar termed the launch of the four initiatives a major milestone in Meghalaya’s skilling journey and said the government remains committed to creating opportunities for the state’s youth.
MSSDS CEO Dr Vijay Kumar D said Meghalaya’s skilling ecosystem has expanded significantly since 2021, with nearly 150 local training partners and over 50,000 youth trained in the last five years.
