Skill development programme in prisons launched

Minister says vocational training started in all provincial jails

RAWALPINDI:

The Punjab Literacy Department has kicked off the “Skilled Development Programme” in 38 small and large jails in all districts of the province.

The programme focuses on kitchen gardening, poultry rearing at the domestic level, and agriculture.

The government has also set up 25 vocational training centres in each district where up to 30 young men and women inmates will get training. The selection of inmates for the training has been completed in all jails, including Adiyala Jail.

Those completing six months of training will be issued a diploma by the literacy department based on which they can also apply for government jobs.

Read 884 female inmates in Punjab jails

The skills such as kitchen gardening, domestic poultry farming, computers skills, sewing, embroidery, plumbing, furniture making, mobile engineering will be taught to enrolled students who will get it completely free.

Punjab Literacy Minister Raja Rashid Hafeez said that vocational training has been started in all jails and he inaugurated the project in Lahore jail.

The minister said transgender persons have also been included in the skill teaching programme, along with men and women. He added they aim to make unemployed skillful and enable them to earn.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2021.