Skill training to help vulnerable children become self-reliant

Vocational training designed to help youth secure jobs, live independently

LAHORE:

Orphaned and vulnerable children living at the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB) in Lahore are being provided vocational training to help them prepare for independent life after leaving the institution upon reaching adulthood.

The initiative has been launched through the establishment of a vocational training centre at the bureau, where boys and girls are learning a variety of practical skills aimed at improving their employment prospects and enabling them to support themselves in the future.

According to the bureau administration, one of the key challenges faced by children living at the facility is that they must leave the institution once they turn 18 and begin life independently. Many of them have limited support systems outside the bureau, making it difficult to secure employment and sustain themselves.

To address this concern, the vocational training programme has been designed to equip them with marketable skills that can help them find jobs or start small-scale work opportunities after leaving the institution.

Currently, the centre offers training in cooking, graphic designing and plumbing, while additional courses are also being planned to expand the programme in the coming months.

In the cooking section, children are being trained to prepare a range of dishes and develop basic culinary skills.

During the holy month of Ramadan, they were also given practical experience by assisting in the preparation of iftar meals, which allowed them to apply their training in a real working environment.

One of the residents, Nimra, said she is continuing her school education while also learning cooking at the centre.

She said she has already learned to prepare several dishes, including biryani and qorma, and believes that mastering these skills will help her find employment in the future.

Another student, Muhammad Ashiq, who studies in grade eleven, said he joined the cooking course out of personal interest.

He said acquiring practical skills alongside education would help him secure better employment opportunities when he begins his professional life.

Graphic designing classes are also being conducted at the centre, where both boys and girls are learning computer-based design skills.