Urges young people to focus on international certifications and vocational training in skills in high demand in the global market
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chairs a meeting regarding 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 several steps to equip youth with professional skills and integrate them into the job market, asserting that youth are the future of our nation.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, while chairing a review meeting on measures to increase employment opportunities for the youth, Prime Minister Shehbaz expressed satisfaction and said the government was accelerating efforts to provide technical and vocational training to the youth in line with contemporary demands.
“Prime Minister 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, during the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the comprehensive training programs launched through the NAVTTC were already yielding positive results, harnessing the potential of the youth workforce.
The statement also noted that while emphasizing the importance of preparing young people for international competition, the Prime Minister stressed the need for them to focus on obtaining international certifications alongside vocational training in skills that are in high demand in the global market.
The statement further added that during the meeting, officials briefed the Prime Minister on efforts to create employment opportunities at the national and international levels.
The briefing noted that the PM Youth Program and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already identified multiple international employment opportunities for young Pakistanis and were working to develop them further.
“The PM Youth Hub has played a pivotal role in providing information on employment opportunities both domestically and internationally. Job opportunities are available in IT, healthcare, construction, tourism, logistics and other sectors abroad,” the statement added.
The statement also mentioned that the Higher Education Commission monitors graduate employment at 282 universities across the country through a digital application, a system intended to inform future education policy.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, during the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz also informed that 32 institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education had introduced Matric-Tech, a vocational program for secondary school students. An Inter-Tech program of 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 State Minister Bilal Azhar Kiani, along with Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Program, Chairman HEC and senior officials of relevant institutions.
