Youths must be equipped with latest skills and technologies to root out poverty and unemployment and in this connection government institutions must play their key role, said Dr Sajjad Arshad, Acting President Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
In a meeting with Madam Bushra Nawaz, Senior Manager Public Relations and Marketing of the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC), Dr Sajjad Arshad said that youths are our most precious asset but we are not utilizing their capabilities for the uplift of the country.
He said that China and other countries had successfully revolutionized their economies by efficiently utilizing their youths.
He said that 20 million youths were unemployed and we must devise strategies to train them in different market-driven skills.
“It will not only make them productive for themselves but also for the country”, he said and added that the skilled human resource could start their own businesses instead of running after jobs. He said that Pakistanis in the world were sending hefty remittances which had saved Pakistan from bankruptcy. “The skilled force could also be exported to potential foreign markets through proper channels instead of their illegal immigration,” he maintained.
He stressed the need to upgrade the syllabus and include skills which were in demand all over the world.
He said that courses on artificial intelligence and e-commerce should be given priority as young girls could earn 10 to 20 thousand dollars by working from their homes.
Madam Bushra Nawaz said that the government had fixed an ambitious target to produce a skilled workforce.
“Out of this quota 500,000 was allotted to the PVTC”, she said and added, “We have successfully imparted training to additional 50,000 students over and above the given target.”
She said that the fee of the students was being paid from Zakat fund and the business community could also adopt students by paying their fee. She also explained the overall performance of the PVTC and said that most trained girls had become thriving entrepreneurs.—APP
