QUETTA: The Youth Employment Program, which aims to give young people jobs in the province and technical skills, would be implemented successfully, according to Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti on Wednesday during a meeting with National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Chairman Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam Raja and Executive Director Nadia Karim.
Raja and Karim briefed the CM on the ongoing Youth Employment Programme, which aims to provide young people in Balochistan, especially the targeted districts of South Balochistan, employment opportunities and technical and vocational training.
The Balochistan boss was told during the meeting that efforts were being made to provide 25, 000 young people in the province with job opportunities. Officials revealed that 6,000 vacancies have already been announced in different federal government departments, and more will be advertised in phases.
The meeting was further informed that NAVTTC, in collaboration with the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (B-TEVTA), would provide technical and vocational training to 10,000 youths in different sectors. The initiative is aimed at equipping them with skills aligned with the requirements of national and international labour markets.
Officials also informed the chief minister that the first batch of 2,000 trainees would complete their training by December this year. Measures would subsequently be taken to facilitate their employment abroad and improve their access to international labour markets.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said that providing employment opportunities and modern technical skills to the youth remained among the provincial government’s foremost priorities. He described the youth as a valuable asset of the province and stressed the need for practical measures to channel their potential in a positive and constructive direction.
He said merely awarding academic degrees was not sufficient and emphasized the importance of imparting technical and vocational skills that could enable young people to secure dignified employment in practical life. He directed that training programmes be aligned with actual market needs so that sustainable employment opportunities could be created for graduates of the programme.
Additionally, he emphasized that the advantages of vocational training and employment efforts should really reach worthy youth and urged a concerted strategy to link skilled youngsters with international work prospects. He ordered that the programs’ results, transparency, and progress be routinely assessed.
The conference was also attended by NAVTTC Balochistan Director General Hussain Bakhsh Magsi, B-TEVTA Head Major (Retired) Abdul Kabir Zarkoon, and Secretary Labour and Manpower Balochistan Saleh Muhammad Nasar.
