White-Collar Dreams, Blue-Collar Crisis

A silent labour crisis is unfolding as young Kashmiris turn away from the skilled professions their society cannot function without.

- Mir Mohammad Arsalan Aftab

In recent years, an unreasonable and impractical preference for academic degrees in Kashmir has led to the systematic decline of hands-on professions.

Occupations essential to the functioning of society, like mechanics, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, are increasingly stigmatised, even as unemployment among degree holders continues to rise.

No one can deny that Kashmir depends heavily on these skilled trades. So why do we fail to give them the respect they deserve?

Driven by the social prestige attached to certain government jobs, Kashmiri families and parents have come to prioritise formal degrees over vocational training.

A 2022 report from the Jammu and Kashmir Employment Department shows the region's unemployment rate exceeds 15%, with many graduates unable to find work in their fields.

These degree-holders often end up in low-wage jobs unrelated to their studies.

In 2021, a Kashmir Chamber of Commerce survey found that 70% of parents in the valley continue to push for traditional career paths like medicine, engineering, and law, even though the government is unable to generate enough jobs in these areas.

This pressure has created a workforce imbalance where theoretical knowledge is valued over practical skills, despite the latter being in high demand.

To understand the importance of these vocational skills, consider this: without mechanics, Kashmir's transport network—critical for commerce, healthcare, and daily life—would collapse.

A two-day strike would ground hundreds of thousands of vehicles, disrupting supply chains and emergency services.