ISLAMABAD: The Punjab Skill Development Fund (PSDF) in collaboration with Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a knowledge sharing seminar at ICCI.
Speaking at the occasion, Jawad Khan, Chief Executive Officer, PSDF said that PSDF was fostering partnerships with private sector to produce skilled workers for it in Punjab. He said the chambers of commerce & industry provided good platforms for PSDF to reach out to current and future partners for the Industrial Training Programs (ITPs) in order to provide skilled and trained manpower for industry as per its requirement.
Jawad Khan said that PSDF was working in 38 districts of Punjab and in partnership with leading employers, it has so far provided skills to 250,000 youngsters in over 250 trades across ten sectors out of which 96000 were females. He said that 300 institutes were partners of PSDF in such efforts including industry, formal training institutes and community based organizations. He said that PSDF was giving special focus to the skills development of vulnerable youth of 18-29 years from poor and backward areas so that they could get better jobs and play productive role in the private sector. He said that PSDF has sufficient funds and its next target was to foster partnerships for skills development of 380,000 youth by 2021 that included 40% females. He assured that PSDF in collaboration with Chamber would continue work for skilled workers for industry in order to increase its productivity.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Naveed, Acting President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry said that Pakistan was experiencing youth bulge, but the enrolment of youth in higher secondary education was only 8 percent 92 percent were not going for higher education. He stressed that the youngsters not getting further education should be equipped with latest skills and trainings so that they could become productive citizens of the country. He said that youth was a great asset of Pakistan, but if left unattended, they could become a big burden on the country. He said the best way to utilize the talent of youth for economic development was to make them skilled and trained manpower.
Nisar Mirza, Vice President ICCI said that most of the business enterprises were belonged to SME sector in Pakistan and stressed that PSDF should focus on producing skilled and trained manpower for SMEs. He assured that ICCI would fully cooperate with PSDF for improving employability of youth in the region. Zubair Ahmed Malik Chairman Founder Group, Ahmed Mughal, Khalid Chaudhry, Ashfaq Chatha, Ms. Amina Malik and others also spoke at the occasion.
