Uttarakhand scheme lands 106 young people jobs abroad, most in Japan

Uttarakhand's scheme to train young people for jobs abroad has so far placed 106 of them in work overseas, the state government said in figures reported on Friday, 9 October 2026. The young people found jobs mainly in Japan, with others in Germany and Saudi Arabia, under the Mukhyamantri Kaushal Unnayan evam Vaishvik Rozgar Yojana, the Chief Minister's Skill Upgradation and Global Employment Scheme. The scheme was approved in May 2023 on the initiative of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. It trains candidates in foreign languages, mainly Japanese and German, and in job skills, and an overseas employment cell in the state's Skill Development and Employment Department handles placements.

For many young people in hill states, a decent job has long meant moving to a big Indian city. Uttarakhand's scheme offers a different route: a structured path to legal, skilled work abroad, with language training and placement support provided by the state. The 106 placements are a small number against the size of the state's young population, but they show that the model can deliver jobs, not just training certificates.

Language is the main gate. The scheme's training focuses on Japanese and German because Japan and Germany are among the main destinations, and learning a new language well enough for work takes months. Private coaching costs money; by running language training as part of a government scheme, the state takes that step within reach of more young candidates.

Working through an official channel also matters. A placement cell run by a government department is more accountable to candidates than an unregistered private agent, which gives young job seekers and their families a clearer place to turn if something goes wrong.

The Chief Minister's meetings with India's envoys to Jamaica, Ethiopia and Zambia suggest the state wants to widen the list of destinations beyond Japan, Germany and the Gulf. The government has said training will be shaped around the openings those discussions identify.

Short-term: More young people in Uttarakhand can sign up for language and skills training with a clearer chance of a job abroad at the end of it.

Long-term: If placements grow, overseas jobs could become a steady source of income and remittances for hill families, and could reduce pressure on young people to migrate to crowded Indian cities for low-paid work.

Who is affected: Young job seekers in Uttarakhand; their families; and employers abroad looking for trained workers.

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