Vocational training — the key to reducing youth unemployment

The economy has failed to absorb 1.5m youth annually joining workforce

MULTAN: In southern Punjab, some of the hurdles in the path of economic growth are poverty, illiteracy, lack of employment, lack of career counseling opportunities as well as an unskilled and unproductive youth force. There is a dire need for investment in centres that provide technical and vocational training.

These centres give the youth a chance to enhance their skills and help accelerate the country’s economic growth and competitiveness. Around 64% of the country’s population is under the age of 30 years and this is the largest percentage of young people ever recorded in its history, states the National Human Development Report titled Unleashing the Potential of a Young Pakistan.

In contemporary times, the gross domestic growth (GDP) is touching historic lows and the economy has failed to absorb the 1.5 million young individuals joining the workforce every year.

Faisal Majeed, who received training from the collaborative project of Punjab Youth Workforce Development in Multan district, shares his experience of how he overcame adversity and turned it into an opportunity. “Many times, I felt disappointed after seeing my friends lose this battle of joblessness to drugs and extremism,” said Faisal while talking about his struggle with unemployment. “There were days when I couldn’t find any work and used to wait for the sun to set so that my family would be asleep when I got home. I felt miserable. I believe there’s nothing sadder than a person willing to work, but unable to find it.”

After suffering constant and running from pillar to post in search of work, Faisal learnt about career counseling sessions organised by the USAID-PYWD project. He shared that during the training session, he acquired the relevant skills to develop his CV.

“CV making is a skill which is lacked by even the most highly qualified professionals,” said Faisal. The project also linked Faisal with Imran Electrical and Repairing, a local workshop, in his area. Faisal received proper guidance, improved confidence and awareness about communications and work ethics. This helped him in his immediate hiring as an electrician by his employer.

Faisal said this was a game-changing experience for him. “Moving on from being an unskilled person to a skilled successfully placed employee is an experience that has helped me grow and develop myself.” He added that now there is a stable source of income, allowing him to earn Rs13,000 a month. “I’m grateful for it.”

Abdul Mateen, Faisal’s father, said that he could not receive education when he was young and ended up working as a daily wage farmer. “I am living my dreams through the achievements of my children.” He said that despite minimum qualification, Faisal has become his earning hand and is now sharing the burden of household expenses.

Samina Akhtar, a young girl from the Shujabad sub district of Multan district, shared that after receiving vocational training, she started working as a crust trimmer at a local leather factory and earned a steady income by utilising her skills. “Women working in factories is usually frowned upon by society, but if you go there with confidence and a skill at hand, you can earn a respectable livelihood.”

The project’s Chief of Party Qaisar Nadeem said that given the social and economic development potential in southern Punjab, they aim to enhance job creation and entrepreneurship opportunities by providing skills and brokering employment for youth in growth-oriented sectors in the Multan, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh, and Bahawalpur districts of South Punjab.

“It is rewarding that our partnership with the private and public sector has enabled us to help 10,000 young people, including 44% women between the ages of 16 to 29, to learn new skills, start their careers and improve their lives.” He added that 5,476 young individuals, including 1,185 women, were provided employment opportunities through career counseling, provision of self-employment tool kits, on-the-job training, entrepreneurship and microfinancing.

The project has also recently launched a campaign to promote positive social behavior among the youth and communities. Talking about this initiative, Qaiser said that teaching young people about responsible citizenship, ethics, positive attitude, leadership skills, work place and conversation ethics, gender equality and health hygiene will help make them become productive members of society.

Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) General Manager Operations Amir Aziz said that the project has supported them through the establishment of eight fully equipped career counseling centres. Four of them are for men and as many for women. “These centres assess the needs and interests of the youth as well as the opportunities and demands of the market, providing guidance that best responds to both ends and enabling successful job placements for the youth. There is a 35-50% success rate among those who gain employment after receiving these services.”

PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Amir Dogar spoke to The Express Tribune and said that the economy of Pakistan largely depends on the untapped potential of the youth and a sustainable TVET sector.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2019.