PESHAWAR: KP Rural Economic Transformation Project (KP-RETP), Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) and the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) here on Thursday for fostering economic growth and empowerment of youth in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Special Assistant to KP CM on Industries Abdul Karim Tordher attended the ceremony as a chief guest while Arif Ullah Awan, Project Director KP-RETP; Mansoor Qaisar, Managing Director KP-TEVTA; and Prof Dr Qaisar Ali, Vice Chancellor UET Peshawar signed the agreement.
Similarly, the signing ceremony was witnessed by Fernanda Thomaz Da Rocha, Country Director for Pakistan at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Ghulam Nabi Mari, IFAD Coordinator; Prof. Dr. Tahir Khan, Director Institute of Mechatronics UET Peshawar; Amjad Miraj, Project Manager KP-RETP; and other senior officials.
The IFAD-funded programme aims to train 60,000 youth in vocational, technical, and entrepreneurial skills across five thematic areas: technical and vocational training, entrepreneurship, emerging technologies, digital literacy, and soft skills. The initiative especially focuses on increasing participation of youth including women to promote inclusive economic growth.
Speaking at the occasion, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Industries, Abdul Karim Tordher commended the initiative and added that this collaboration is a step forward towards ensuring that the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are equipped with the skills needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
The programme will help them secure stable employment and contribute to the growth of key industries in our province. He applauded IFAD for its continued support in fostering sustainable development and creating long-term economic opportunities for our youth.
He said that round about seventy percent of our population is based on youth, while, the region is also affected by terrorism and other numerous conditions. He said that we are feeling eagerness for such type of initiatives of donor agencies to equip our people on the modern day training needs.
He said that our people are by birth entrepreneurs and here is are multiple green sectors for imparting trainings to improve the potential of these sectors more.
A large potential of round about 50 billion are expected in Pine nut,130 billion from Wilde olive while 80 percent of honey is producing form this province. Similarly, the province generating round about 300 billion from tobacco.
He said that in food and vegetable processing, here is also a lot of potential for training. He added that we looking for the support of donor agencies and appreciate IFAD extended cooperation.
Fernanda Thomaz Da Rocha, Country Director IFAD Pakistan, highlighted the broader significance of the partnership and said that milestone agreement demonstrates the power of collaboration between IFAD-financed projects, academic institutions, and the private sector to create real opportunities for young people.
He said that they are investing on youth upskilling and women empowerment in rural KP. Through this initiative, we are helping young women and men build the skills they need to succeed in the job market or launch their own enterprises.
Arif Ullah Awan, Project Director KP-RETP, emphasized the impact of the partnership. He said that this partnership reflects their commitment to transforming rural livelihoods by equipping youth with skills that are not only relevant today but also future-focused.
By joining hands with KP-TEVTA and UET Peshawar, they are ensuring that our training interventions are practical, inclusive, and aligned with the evolving needs of the job market.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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