‘World Bank to support $15m skills development project’

Project expected to boost industrial productivity, says WB representative


Shamsul Islam April 11, 2016
Project expected to boost industrial productivity, says WB representative. PHOTO: ONLINE

FAISALABAD: The World Bank (WB) group will support the Punjab Skill Development Fund (PSDF) in launching a $15 million project to train unemployed youth in the 18-29 age bracket in marketable skills.

This was stated by WB representative Ali Qureshi during a group discussion held at the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) on Monday.

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He said the trainings would be arranged in collaboration with the private sector. He said the data available with the WB suggested that 70 percent of the youth in this age group were educated only up to the secondary school level. He said their absorption in the industry was poor because they lacked employable skills.

Rehana Riffat, another WB representative, said the bank had undertaken a similar project in Kenya that yielded positive results. She said the project was expected to boost industrial productivity and enable a large number of young people to get jobs in the country.

She said to ensure that the project corresponded to the needs of the industry the WB was holding detailed discussions with stakeholders.

PSDF’s Zohaib Haq said that the scope of the project would be extended to the entire province based on the outcome of the pilot phase.

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Earlier, FCCI president Chaudhary Muhammad Nawaz said that the industrialists were working in collaboration with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority to ensure availability of skilled manpower. He welcomed the new project and urged the WB and the PSDF to ensure fair representation of women in its training sessions.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th,  2016.

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