Skills training only tool to reduce poverty: Jhagra

Asks industrialists to impart skills training to youth, establish institutes

ISLAMABAD: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra has asked industrialists to take part in training of youth in various skills and establish training institutes of international standards.

“It is the responsibility of public and private sectors to support each other, train manpower that could meet international labour standards and reduce the pressure of unemployment in the country,” a press release quoted the governor as saying on Thursday.

Speaking at the National Skills Show organised by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), he pointed out that Pakistan was an agricultural economy and in the absence of skilled manpower, development and prosperity would not come in the sector.

The governor stressed that such skill competitions would not only boost morale of the youth but would also polish their skills. He called the youth of Fata and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa very talented that only needed proper training to refine their skills.

“We are committed to ensuring employment for the youth to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists and vocational training is the only effective tool to reduce poverty and produce skilled manpower,” he remarked.

Foreign diplomats, including German, Netherlands and European Union ambassadors who were present on the occasion, congratulated winners of the skills competition with the hope that being skilled persons they would contribute to the national economy and would be in a better position to raise their social and economic profile.

They said NAVTTC was committed to building the capacity of youth, enabling them to land different vocational and technical jobs and reducing unemployment in the country.

NAVTTC Executive Director Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema highlighted the importance of technical and vocational education training (TVET), saying equipping the youth with employable skills was the only solution to poverty and unemployment in Pakistan.

Outlining that Pakistan was blessed with a youth bulge as almost 60% of the population comprised young people, he said the government would utilise all its resources to reform TVET in order to exploit the demographic dividend.

In the competition, hundreds of trainees exhibited their skills in 10 diversified trades. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2016.

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