6-month internship: PEC conducts digital balloting for GET Placement Programme

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) conducted the digital balloting for its ambitious Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) Placement Programme, marking the placement of the first batch of 600 engineers in various industries for a six-month internship.

The digital balloting ceremony was held at the PEC Regional Office Lahore, where Chairman PEC Engr Waseem Nazir inaugurated the programme by pressing the digital balloting button.

Vice Chairman PEC Punjab Engr Dr Sohail Aftab Qureshi, PEC Governing Body members, and senior PEC officials attended the event, while representatives from PEC HQs and all PEC regional and branch offices across the country joined online.

According to the PEC, around 3,000 engineers applied online for the first batch of the GET Placement Programme. After scrutiny, 1,587 candidates were short-listed, out of which 600 engineers were selected through the digital balloting process.

PEC officials stated that in case any selected candidate does not join, the opportunity will be offered to candidates placed on the waiting list. The transparent digital balloting mechanism was introduced to ensure fairness and merit-based selection.

During the briefing, it was revealed that work on the GET programme began several months ago, with the establishment of dedicated online portals for employers and engineers.

Applications from employers and engineers were submitted through these portals, and PEC signed memorandums of understanding with partner organizations nationwide. These organizations include leading public- and private-sector entities that have agreed to provide structured training opportunities for fresh engineering graduates.

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman PEC Engr Waseem Nazir described the GET programme as a flagship initiative aimed at providing hands-on training to newly graduated engineers. He stated that he personally visited all four provinces, as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, where meetings were held with chief secretaries to secure their participation.

He said the involvement of leading government organizations reflects confidence and trust in PEC. He also announced that PEC plans to place 1,400 engineers in the second batch of the programme in March 2026, adding that the initiative has been appreciated by federal and provincial governments.

The Graduate Engineer Trainee Placement Programme is a fully PEC-funded, six-month “house job” style training initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry requirements.

The programme includes five months of field exposure and one month of skill development. Trainees receive a monthly stipend of PKR 50,000, with no financial burden on partner organizations. Upon successful completion, engineers will receive a jointly issued certificate from PEC and the partner organization, featuring QR codes for verification.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025