Urges emerging youth to focus on international certifications, vocational training in high-demand skills for the global market
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting on measures taken to increase employment opportunities for the national youth in Islamabad on April 1. Photo: PMO
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the government was taking several steps to equip young people with professional skills and integrate them into the workforce, saying that youth is the future of our nation.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Prime Minister Shehbaz, while chairing a review meeting on measures to increase job opportunities for youth, expressed satisfaction and stated that the government was expediting efforts to provide technical and vocational training to youth in line with contemporary requirements.
“PM Shehbaz observed that recent reforms in the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) have significantly improved the delivery of technical education,” the statement said.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister stated during the meeting that the comprehensive training programs launched through the NAVTTC were already yielding positive results and harnessing the potential of the youth workforce.
The statement also noted that the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of preparing youth for international competition, but stressed the need for them to focus on obtaining international certifications alongside vocational training in high-demand skills for the global market.
The statement further added that during the meeting, officials briefed the prime minister on efforts to create employment opportunities at both national and international levels.
The briefing noted that the PM Youth Program and the Ministry of External Affairs had already identified several international employment opportunities for young Pakistanis and are working to expand them further.
“PM Youth Hub has taken a central role in providing information on employment opportunities both nationally and internationally. Employment opportunities are available in IT, healthcare, construction, tourism, logistics and other sectors abroad,” the briefing added.
The statement also mentioned that the Higher Education Commission tracked graduate employment from 282 universities across the country through a digital app, a system intended to inform future education policy.
According to the PMO, Prime Minister Shehbaz also briefed during the meeting that 32 institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education have introduced Matric-Tech, a vocational program for secondary level students. An Inter-Tech program for higher level technical training was also planned.
The audit meeting was attended by federal ministers, including Dr. Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima Khawaja and Foreign Minister Bilal Azhar Kiani, along with the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Official Youth Programme, the institution and the HEC Senior Youth Programme.
