USAID-PYWD giving vocational training to over 10,000 people in South Punjab

Residents of Bahawalpur, Multan, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh to all be trained

MULTAN: Over 10,000 people will be dispensed vocational training in four districts of South Punjab under a three-year Punjab Youth Workforce Development (PYWD) project with the government having joined hands with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This was stated by USAID-PYWD project chief Qaisar Nadeem while addressing a seminar hosted by Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on Thursday.

USAID-PYWD project and MCCI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to formalise a partnership which aims to address the demand and supply side of the skills gaps and devise means to bridge them through mutual collaboration.

Nadeem said a number of youngsters, age 16 to 29 years with at least 35% females, are undergoing free training in Bahawalpur, Multan, Lodhran and Muzaffargarh.

He added that they are being provided monthly scholarships and would get free tool kits of their respective disciplines after completion of training so that they can contribute services to earn livelihood.



Missing facilities, the project chief said, including equipment were also being provided to 22 vocational institutes under this project in addition to training of teachers and modernisation of curriculum in accordance with industry's needs.

He went on to say that four-month training programmes for rural women in four trades including commercial tailoring, Adda work, and hand embroidery would begin at 55 centres from January next year under a $1.6 million programme to train at least 1,100 women.

Another 'Skill for Marketing' programme would train women on how to market their products with direct access to retailers, he added.

MCCI senior Vice President Roomana Tanveer Sheikh, many industrialists as well as traders were all in attendance.