LAHORE: The Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) has partnered with the Network of Organizations Working for Persons with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP) to expand access to market-relevant vocational training for persons with disabilities and help them secure employment in industries across the province, under a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two organizations here on Monday.
The agreement was signed by Azka Munir, Head of Programme Design at PSDF, and Noor ul Ain Saeed, Manager of Programs and Operations at NOWPDP, during a ceremony attended by senior officials from both sides. Under the arrangement, NOWPDP will function as the Training Service Provider for the initiative.
NOWPDP operates the Centre of Excellence for Disability Inclusion in Korangi, Karachi, described as the first comprehensive disability centre in Pakistan. Training under the partnership will be delivered through two hubs, one in Karachi and the other in Lahore, with the centre aiming at training nearly five thousand persons with disabilities every year in 70 market-relevant skills, including a 40 percent share of women trainees.
Under the terms of the MoU, PSDF and NOWPDP will jointly identify trades that match industry demand while factoring in accessibility requirements and the competence levels of trainees. Areas of focus are expected to include digital literacy and information technology, digital and social media marketing, freelancing and digital service delivery, industrial stitching, hospitality, culinary arts, and beautician training. Training curricula will be adapted for trainees with hearing, visual, physical, and intellectual disabilities, and trainers will undergo disability-sensitization orientation as part of the programme.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, PSDF Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Khan said the partnership with NOWPDP would help map persons with disabilities across Punjab and give them equal access to market-relevant training that could lead to sustainable employment opportunities.
The partnership will also work to remove barriers such as inadequate transportation, communication gaps, and limited access to assistive technologies, which often keep persons with disabilities from enrolling in and completing training programmes. Under the division of responsibilities, PSDF will provide funding, program oversight, and linkages with its network of industry and employer partners, while NOWPDP will handle training delivery, trainee enrollment, and job placement support after training concludes.
NOWPDP Chief Executive Officer Omair Ahmad said his organization was excited to work with PSDF to expand training access for persons with disabilities in Punjab, adding that the collaboration aimed to reduce barriers to learning, employment, and entrepreneurship, and to help persons with disabilities build dignified livelihoods.
Officials from both organizations described the agreement as a significant step toward creating a more inclusive skills development ecosystem in Punjab, one that would allow persons with disabilities to pursue jobs and start businesses based on their own skills and preferences.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026