Recipe for success: From job seekers to job creators

Entrepreneurial conference promotes job creation among the youth.

ISLAMABAD:

Youth of the twin cities want to be the job creators of tomorrow. They prefer “innovative entrepreneurship” over “reliance on the job market”, and have fresh ideas for the future of this country.

Such were the ideas of students from various educational institutes that had gathered at the largest entrepreneurial conference of Pakistan -TiECON 2011, “Bounce Back”, which was held on Saturday.

The event aimed to create and promote an atmosphere of entrepreneurship for helping the country “bounce back” from the current economic downturn and perception of hopelessness.

The conference was attended by over 1,200 delegates, consisting of renowned businesspersons from across the country and aboard, students, budding entrepreneurs, academics and social and financial sector experts along with a large number of media professionals.

“This is a good opportunity for students to discover new methods of entrepreneurship and also provides successful entrepreneurs a chance to share their ideas with the youth,” said Dur-e-Shahab, a student of Iqra University. Shahab is currently learning the art of Kadi -- manufacturing silk clothes from small machines.

She is doing her bachelors in textiles from Iqra University and plans to set up a small industry at her home after completing her education. She said that this is a reasonable and honourable option for students, particularly for women, who can easily set up small industry and earn from it. “Government, banks and business tycoons must come forward and facilitate the youth to promote this cause and foster entrepreneurship,” she said.

Urooj Shah, another student of textile designing, said that she has leant how to make embroidery bags, purses and pillows.

“We learn to manufacture the products in a way that not only becomes a source of earning, but also showcases our tradition and cultural heritage,” she said. Shah has chosen this field with an intention of not only supporting herself, but also creating jobs for others.

A group of six students from the Department of Mechatronics, Air University, introduced a fuel efficient vehicle, which can go up to 110 kilometres (km) on a single litre of fuel, with an average speed of 30km/hour. They said that the vehicle was also taken to Malaysia for a competition and stood fourth among those participating from Pakistan.

“The cost of the vehicle is Rs350,000. However, it is expected to go down drastically if the car is produced at a large scale,” said Haji Gul, one of the students. He said that they needed funds from either the government or the private sector to turn their passion into their profession.

Hashoo Foundation also received considerable traction at TiECON 2011 for its entrepreneurship projects. One of its projects provides a platform to enable large numbers of rural women from Gilgit and Chital to produce honey. A Hashoo representative said that many women in these areas earn a lot from this business, which has “totally changed” their socio-economic lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2011.