‘We need to equip the youth with skills’

Importance of vocational training underscored at Sukkur IBA

Our curriculum is quite old and out-dated and needs to be updated according to the requirements of today, said the Sukkur Institute of Business Administration registrar on Friday to participants of a certificate distribution ceremony of the Prime Minister’s Youth Skills Development Programme.

Of the total population of Pakistan, around 135 million citizens are youths, he explained, which makes up 63% of the population. "The government doesn't have enough resources to provide jobs to all the young people of the country, therefore it is necessary to equip the youth with different skills so that they are able to make ends meet," he said.

The registrar said the National Vocational Technical Training Commission (NACTTC) is doing a great job by providing vocational and technical training to unemployed youth. He went on to say that our curriculum is quite out-dated and needs to be updated keeping in view the global changes.

We are a degree awarding university and are providing vocational and technical training to the youth as part of our social services to the community, he told participants of the event. Today's youth must be equipped with modern skills, critical thinking, good communication and soft skills so that they can compete in this changing world, he said.



NAVTTC Director-General Abdul Raheem Shaikh said it is our duty to accommodate the youth and under this programme, initially we were training 25,000 youth but that later increased to 50,000 and now it has been increased to 100,000, so that more youth can be benefitted. He went on to say that providing vocational and technical training to unemployed youth was the only answer to the problem of unemployment.

Many uneducated youth work at workshops and have ample experience but do not have any certification, Shaikh explained, adding that they have come up with a novel idea for such persons.

Those with experience in any trade can come to us, undergo certain tests and then we will award certificates to successful candidates, he announced.



The director of the Centre of Entrepreneurial Leadership and Incubation at the varsity, Ikhtiar Ahmed Khoso shed light on different skills under the programme. He said unemployed youth are taking keen interest in vocational and technical training. After completing different courses, the youth are earning respectable livings and thus supporting their families.

Some successful graduates of the programme shared their success stories at the event. Later, the General Officer Commanding of the Pano Akil Cantonment, Major General Zafarullah Khan, who was chief guest of the ceremony, the registrar and DG distributed certificates among successful candidates.