Two million youths: Punjab government intends to provide vocational education: chief minister

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that by 2018 the Punjab government intends to provide vocational education to 2 million youths. He expressed these views during a meeting with a delegation of prominent management consultant group McKinsey, here on Wednesday, disclosed an official. The delegation included Hans-Martin Stock Manager of McKinsey, Country Manager Pakistan Salman Ahmed, Ali Maalik and Taimur Khan.
Provincial Minister for Industries Chaudhry Muhammad Shafiq, Provincial Assembly Members Dr Ayesha Ghaus Pasha and Zaeem Hussain Qadri, Additional Chief Secretary, Chairman Planning and Development, Additional Chief Secretary Energy, Secretaries Industry, Information, Chairman Punjab Information Technology Board, Chairman PVTC, Chairman TEVTA, DG LDA and concerned officers were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the government is providing full attention to promoting good governance in the province for providing relief and best services to the masses. He also said reforms will be introduced in important social sectors during the next three and a half years. "Development of education, health, agriculture, livestock, vocational education as well as urban development, maintenance of law and order and uplift of rural areas is the priority of the government," he added.
According to him, a project has been evolved for rehabilitation of roads of rural areas under Khadim Punjab Green Road Programme and a sum of Rs 15 billion rupees have been allocated for this purpose during current fiscal year. Effective measures are needed for the achievement of targets and the time wasted will be made up through determination and hard work. A target has been set to provide vocational education to 20 lakh youth up to 2018.
He said solid measures have been taken for the promotion of IT in the province. He said targets have also been fixed for increasing the GDP of Punjab. "Special attention is being paid to skills development," he added. He issued instructions for setting up a committee comprising officials of concerned departments headed by Chairman Planning and Development, and directed that effective strategy be evolved for the development of social sectors with the co-operation of McKinsey and timeline fixed for the achievement of the targets.