PRIME Minister Imran Khan, on Thursday, launched the country’s largest skills development programme aimed at imparting training to the youth to become productive members of the society. Inaugurating Rs. 30 billion “Hunarmand Jawan Programme”, he expressed the confidence that it will help put Pakistan on the road to progress and prosperity.
The details as explained by the Prime Minister show that the authorities concerned have done the necessary homework and the programme would, hopefully, become a resounding success. The four-year programme is designed to provide quality professional training as well as easy loans, capacity building and internships for the youth. As announced by the Prime Minister, it is aimed at initially imparting training to five hundred thousand youth and allocations for the programme would also be increased when it proceeds ahead. There has always been talk about the need to equip students of religious seminaries with contemporary knowledge and skills to make them more relevant in the society and with this in view the announcement that the first 70 skills centres would be established at Madressahs is welcome as this would be for the first time that practical measures would be taken to enable these students to acquire skills. Again, the plan to establish 300 smart training centres where students will have access to international teachers so that our country can achieve global standards is also appreciable. There is still great demand for skilled manpower in the Gulf and training of youth in trades and skills that are in demand in these markets would help them acquire gainful jobs and contribute towards increasing the home remittances. We would also urge the Prime Minister to task his Advisor Dr Attaur Rehman to revive his old plan of having global standard science and technology universities as the country cannot make meaningful progress without research and development.
