PHMA, BBSHRRDB partner to boost industry-led skills development

KARACHI: In a significant step towards aligning workforce skills with industry needs, the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PHMA) and the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Human Resource Research & Development Board (BBSHRRDB) are moving towards a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening industry-led skills development and expanding employment opportunities for youth across Sindh.

A delegation from PHMA and PHMA Institutes, led by Faisal Arshad Sheikh, Chairman PHMA and Head of the PHMA Institutes Managing Committee, along with Vice Chairman Salman Ishaq and Secretary General Khadim Rasool, visited the BBSHRRDB Head Office in Karachi. The delegation held detailed discussions with Munawar Ali Mithani, Secretary BBSHRRDB, and senior officials on formalising collaboration through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The proposed MoU will establish a structured framework for cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), including the launch of industry-led training programs designed to meet the evolving needs of Pakistan’s value-added apparel, hosiery, and knitted garments sector.

Speaking on the occasion, Faisal Arshad Sheikh said PHMA is the apex trade body representing Pakistan’s value-added hosiery and knitted garments industry and is actively engaged in export promotion and human capital development. He highlighted PHMA’s long-standing role in skills training through its two vocational institutes located at Shahrah-e-Faisal and Nazimabad in Karachi.

He noted that since 2002, PHMA Institutes have trained more than 10,000 individuals in a wide range of technical, vocational, and professional disciplines. These efforts have been supported through partnerships with national and international organisations such as UNDP, GIZ, NAVTTC, PSDF, and BBSHRRDB under the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme, as well as through industry-specific private training initiatives.

Faisal Sheikh said the PHMA Institutes have consistently acted as a bridge between training and employment by providing practical, market-oriented skills that lead to jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, while preparing the workforce for changing local and global market demands.

The PHMA delegation proposed the introduction of joint industry-led training programs in collaboration with BBSHRRDB to strengthen academia-industry linkages and improve employability outcomes. Special focus was placed on empowering youth and women through demand-driven training, workforce integration, and entrepreneurship development.

Secretary BBSHRRDB Munawar Ali Mithani appreciated PHMA’s contribution to skills development and stressed the need for stronger public-private partnerships to widen access to quality training, especially in underserved areas of Sindh. He also emphasised the inclusion of emerging and future-focused skills such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies, and innovation-based training.

Both sides agreed to continue consultations and finalise a comprehensive partnership framework that will support employment-focused training programs, enhance industry participation, and contribute to Sindh’s socio-economic development by building a skilled and productive workforce.

The proposed collaboration is expected to serve as a model for effective industry-government cooperation, opening new avenues for skills development, job creation, and sustainable economic growth across the province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026