Young people’s employability central to the economic reform agenda: FinMin

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Wednesday that improving employability, especially among youth, will remain central to the government’s economic transformation agenda as he met a delegation from the World Bank to discuss skills development, healthcare, education and technology-driven public services.

According to a statement issued by the finance ministry, the minister held talks with a delegation led by World Bank Vice President for Human Development Mamta Murthi on Pakistan’s priorities for human capital development, workforce readiness and social sector reforms.

Aurangzeb said Pakistan had made important progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and was increasingly shifting its focus towards improving social and human development outcomes through investment in health, education, skills development and social protection.

He described Pakistan’s large youth population as both a major opportunity and a key policy priority, stressing the need to improve human capital indicators, increase labor force participation and equip youth with skills adapted to the changing demands of the labor market.

The Finance Minister emphasized the importance of upskilling and retraining the workforce to meet new economic demands, improve job readiness and create pathways to higher value employment. He said sustained economic growth and competitiveness would require continued investment in people alongside reforms aimed at increasing productivity, improving service delivery and creating jobs.

Aurangzeb also emphasized the need to maintain a strong focus on measurable results and effective implementation under the World Bank’s long-term country partnership framework for Pakistan.

The meeting reviewed key elements of Pakistan’s human development agenda, including maternal and child health, nutrition, immunization, early childhood development, educational outcomes and population-related challenges.

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Murthi said long-term development progress would depend on improvements in critical indicators of human capital, particularly child nutrition, reduction of stunting, basic learning and access to quality healthcare and education.

She said the World Bank’s engagement in Pakistan was focused on supporting measurable outcomes and strengthening service delivery systems to ensure essential interventions effectively reached mothers and children across the country.

The two sides also discussed strengthening primary health systems, expanding access to essential services for mothers and children, and leveraging artificial intelligence and digital technologies in healthcare, education and workforce development.

Aurangzeb said Pakistan must prepare its workforce for a rapidly evolving global economy, while the World Bank delegation shared international experiences in technology-enabled service delivery, health financing and private sector participation.

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Discussions further focused on workforce development, technical and vocational education and employment oriented skills programmes. Participants highlighted the importance of stronger industry links, greater involvement of the private sector in training initiatives and better adaptation of skills programs to the needs of the labor market.

The meeting also explored opportunities for broader collaboration between the government, the World Bank Group and the private sector to advance Pakistan’s human capital goals.

Murthi invited Pakistan to participate in a global forum on universal health coverage, scheduled to be held in Japan later this year and jointly supported by the Japanese government, the World Bank Group and the World Health Organization.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to continued cooperation in health, education, social protection, workforce development and technology-enabled service delivery.