LAHORE: Under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Punjab has achieved a remarkable milestone by providing skill training to over 180,000 youth within a few months under her flagship ‘Skilled Youth Programme’.
The initiative marked an unprecedented success in technical and vocational education, contributing significantly to employment and economic empowerment in the province.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Punjab, it was revealed that over 75,000 trained individuals have secured employment across Pakistan, while 15,000 have successfully obtained jobs in international organizations. She added that those employed include more than 27,500 graduates from TEVTA institutions, 45,000 graduates from Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC), and 1,428 graduates of Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF). She was also briefed that 350 female students trained through Garment City Project and 450 transgender individuals graduated under ‘Pehchan’ Skill Development Programme have successfully gained employment. She highlighted that Punjab has witnessed a 21 percent increase in technical training compared to past five years.
The Chief Minister directed the relevant authorities to launch a new industrial survey in order to align skills training with market needs. She also gave in-principle approval to introduce “Maryam Nawaz Free Travel Card” for skilled youth seeking job opportunities abroad. The authorities concerned further briefed her that in a major step to modernize construction sector, 24 state-of-the-art construction labs have been established, in which a total of 2,450 youth in Bahawalpur, Multan, Bhakkar, Mianwali, and other cities will be trained in modern construction techniques. So far, 830 youth have completed training, 1,178 are currently enrolled and 975 more will be inducted in the next batch. They further apprised the Chief Minister that Hospitality Training Program has also made significant progress as 96 youth have successfully completed their training while 96 more are under training. An additional 100 will be trained in the next phase in Rawalpindi, Multan, and Faisalabad.
The Chief Minister was briefed that in the Garment City Project, 510 youth have completed training, with 350 employed and training continues for remaining 980 students. Another 960 candidates will soon begin their training. The relevant authorities informed that under International Outreach Programme, an impressive 112,000 youth have received specialized training, preparing them for global employment opportunities. They further informed that the province has also upgraded 2,158 training labs, which are now serving 28,140 students across Punjab.
The Chief Minister Punjab approved new rules and regulations for Department of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, along with the development of a modern curriculum and training modules. Plans for 2025-26 include training 201,485 youth, with 15,531 already trained locally and 4,230 trained internationally in the current fiscal year. They further briefed the CM that ‘Pehchan’ Skill Development Programme for Transgenders has completed training of 11,000 individuals, out of which 470 have already been employed, whereas, another 1,300 are currently undergoing training. Participants are also being provided with machinery and essential tools to support entrepreneurship.
