Skills, not degree will shape destiny of our industries: Lt Governor

Srinagar, Jul 18: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Thursday inaugurated the Kashmir College of Engineering and Technology, at Ranbirgarh, Srinagar.
The Lt Governor, in his address, congratulated the Chairman, Kashmir College of Engineering & Technology Raja Aijaz Ali, and the entire team for their endeavour to strengthen the technological excellence in academia, innovation and nurturing a future-ready skilled workforce.
Speaking on the rapid transformation taking place in the Industry sector, the Lt Governor said the speed and scale of change in 4th Industrial Revolution calls for strengthening the Industry-Academia collaborations.
He emphasised on fostering innovation culture in Engineering Colleges and realigning the curriculum to fulfill the evolving industry requirements.
“Skills and not the degree will shape the destiny of our industries. The future workforce must have critical skills such as cognitive skills, logical reasoning, technical skills etc to build future-proof careers,” the Lt Governor said.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor highlighted reforms in the education sector under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to promote startups, innovation and entrepreneurship in Jammu Kashmir.
He also made some valuable suggestions to explore the vast opportunities in the engineering and technology sector.
The demand for professionals in engineering and technology companies has increased. Today, industry is looking for workforce with specific skill set. Our focus should be on building capacities in accordance with the skills required for existing and future job positions, he said.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor Kashmir University; Vikramjit Singh, Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce department; Vidhi Kumar Birdi, IGP Kashmir and other senior officials.
Raja Aijaz Ali, Chairman, Kashmir College of Engineering & Technology; Dr Syed Jalal Ahmad, Principal along with faculty members and staff of the college were present on the occasion.