Secretary Industries, Commerce, Investment and Skill Development Department Punjab Ehsan Bhutta inaugurated ‘TEVTA Job Fair’ at a local hotel at Paris Road, with the theme of ‘Economic Empowerment for All’, here on Saturday.
He said Sialkot and Gujranwala were lifeline of Pakistan’s industries. He said with the growth of industries, the demand for skilled labour had increased. He said after matriculation, 70 per cent of youth did not get further education. However, they also fail to get 1any jobs for lack of any skills, he added.
The secretary said the Industries Department had launched formal courses called ‘Summer Skills Programme for School and Higher Secondary School Students’ this year. By widening the scope, steps were being taken to provide normal education to special children, prisoners, beggars and people suffering from drug-addiction, he added. Secretary Ehsan Bhutta said the aim of the ‘Job Fair’ was to offer internship in industries to children who have done technical courses, so that their skills could be improved and the market demand could be evaluated. He said under the Punjab Employment Scheme of the Punjab Industries Corporation, Rs 10 lakh loan was being given on personal guarantee to the graduate students, getting diplomas from technical institutes at only 4pc markup. He hoped that more than 200 children would get jobs in industries from the ‘Job Fair’. Deputy Commissioner Sialkot Adnan Mehmood Awan said skills, provided by the institutions, and the skills required in the industries were a mismatch. There was a need for institutions to provide skills to children keeping in mind the market needs, he added. He said that job fairs should be organised regularly.
He directed the visitors to the job fair to focus on IT based e-commerce and freelancing. President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Abdul Ghafoor Malik, Chairman AIR SIAL Limited Fazal Jilani and Director General OPS ii Aamir Aziz and representatives of more than 40 industries were also present.—APP
