Karachi, Federal Minister Madad Ali Sindhi has announced a significant increase in the quota for women and ordered full accommodation for differently abled students under the Prime Minister’s Youth Skills Development Programme (PMYSDP), chaired by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).
According to Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, the 1st Meeting of the Steering Committee of PMYSDP was held today, where Madad Ali Sindhi emphasized the importance of technical training in bolstering Pakistan’s economy. Recognizing the potential of the youth, he increased the women’s quota in PMYSDP from 33% to 40%, underscoring the need for women empowerment to address social challenges. Additionally, he instructed NAVTTC to provide seats for all differently abled students, regardless of quotas, and to arrange accommodation for them in major cities.
Madad Ali Sindhi also stressed the need for strict scrutiny of institutions partnering under PMYSDP to meet set standards. He lauded the involvement of third-party auditors like EandY and KPMG for ensuring accountability and appreciated NAVTTC’s efforts in reaching underdeveloped regions of Pakistan.
The Executive Director of NAVTTC informed the Federal Minister that the PMYSDP, with a budget of approximately Rs. 10 Bn, has trained 161,000 youths to date. This includes 96,000 in high-tech training and 64,000 in conventional training, with an employment rate of 71% among the trained workforce.
The meeting also revealed that 42,000 of the total trained students were women, with a provincial breakdown showing participation from Punjab, KPK, Sindh, Baluchistan, and the federal capital.
The Minister was briefed on various components of PMYSDP. Under Hunar Ablagh, 16,000 students will receive training in High-Tech/IT Technologies. Jiddat Maharat will train 25,000 youth in High-End Industrial Revolution Technologies. Al-Kasib focuses on conventional technologies for 15,000 youth, and Bayrun Rozgar aims to train 15,000 students for Global Skill Recognition of Pakistani expats and potential emigrants (RPL).