Urges young people to focus on international certifications and 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 national youth in Islamabad on April 1. Photo: PMO
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the government was taking multiple measures to equip youth with vocational skills and integrate them into the workforce, asserting that youth are the future of our nation.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), while chairing a review meeting on measures to increase job opportunities for youth, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed satisfaction and stated that the government was accelerating efforts to provide technical and vocational training to youth in line with contemporary demands.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz observed that the recent reforms in the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) have significantly improved the provision of technical education,” the statement said.
According to the PMO, during the meeting, the Prime Minister stated that the comprehensive training programs launched through NAVTTC were already yielding positive results, harnessing the potential of the youth workforce.
The statement also noted that while emphasizing the importance of preparing youth for international competition, the prime minister stressed the need for them to focus on obtaining international certifications along with vocational training in high-demand skills for the global market.
The statement further added that during the meeting, the officials briefed the prime minister on efforts to create employment opportunities both domestically and internationally.
The report noted that the Prime Minister’s Youth Program and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already identified multiple international employment opportunities for Pakistani youth and are working to expand them further.
“The PM Youth Hub has taken a central role in providing information on employment opportunities both domestically and internationally. Employment opportunities are available in IT, healthcare, construction, tourism, logistics and other sectors abroad,” the report added.
The statement also mentioned that the Higher Education Commission was tracking the employment of graduates from 282 universities across the country through a digital application, a system intended to inform future education policy.
According to the PMO, during the meeting, Chief Minister Shehbaz also informed 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 review 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 Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiani, along with Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Chairman HEC and senior officials of relevant institutions.
