PM underscores need to accelerate training programmes for youth

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the country is expanding efforts to equip young people with professional and technical skills to increase their participation in the workforce.

Speaking at a review meeting on youth employment, Sharif emphasised the need to accelerate technical and vocational training programmes to meet modern workforce requirements.

He also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, led by Rana Mashhood.

“Youth are the future of our nation,” Sharif said, noting that reforms at the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) had led to improvements in delivering technical training.

He said that initiatives to provide internationally certified skills, particularly in high-demand areas, were a top priority.

Officials briefed the prime minister on efforts to create employment opportunities at both national and international levels.

The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they added, has identified global job openings in sectors including information technology, healthcare, construction, tourism, and logistics.

The Prime Minister’s Youth Hub now serves as a central platform for information on these opportunities, officials said.

Meanwhile, they added the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is tracking employment outcomes for graduates from 282 universities across Pakistan through a digital monitoring system, which is intended to inform future education policy.

To further enhance technical training, the officials said, the Federal Ministry of Education has launched the Matric-Tech programme in 32 schools, with plans to expand training through a new Inter-Tech initiative modelled on the scheme.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Musadik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima, Minister of State Bilal Kiani, Rana Mashhood, the HEC chairman, and senior officials from relevant government departments.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026