Tribal youth to acquire market-driven skills

Skills Development Programme to cost Rs1.4 billion

PESHAWAR:

To boost youth’s employability with market-oriented skills, government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) has introduced a Rs1.4bn development project called the Accelerated Skills Development Programme for merged areas aimed at increasing the employment rate of the youth in tribal districts.

The programme has been designed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is being funded by the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID). Under the initiative, 5,500 men, women, and transgender persons (18-35 years) from the merged areas (MA) will receive free trade and occupation skills trainings, after which they will be connected to enterprises for on-job training across the country.

Speaking about the initiative, K-P Secretary for Industries, Commerce and Technical Education Zulfiqar Ali Shah said, “We are mindful that the youth of the MA have not had many opportunities to acquire occupational skills. The Accelerated Skills Development Program is an effort to bridge that gap.”

To add to that, Special Assistant to Chief Minister (SACM) on Industries Abdul Karim Khan said, “The K-P government aims to introduce interventions that deliver market-driven solutions and boost youth’s employability as well as private sector development in the region.”

While addressing the participants, USAID Deputy Mission Director Michael Nehrbass said, “USAID has a long history of partnering with the K-P government. Our goal is to assist the government with designing and implementing development strategies and programmes that improve the quality of life of K-P residents, particularly the merged areas.”

In addition, the UNDP Merged Areas Governance Project Programme Manager Raluca Eddon emphasized that the scheme will strengthen the female labour force in the MA, which remains one of the lowest in the country. “The scheme is of crucial value as it will facilitate women and other marginalized groups in accessing opportunities to acquire skills,” she added.

The Accelerated Skills Development Programme will provide free trade and occupation skills in seven sectors such as health, agriculture, tourism, information technology, construction, mines and minerals, and services.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2022.