PM announces setting up National Accelerator on Closing Skills Gap in Pakistan in partnership with WEF

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced the establishment of National Accelerator on Closing the Skills Gap in Pakistan, in partnership with the World Economic Forum, with Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) serving as its national secretariat.

The announcement came during a meeting with President of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Broge Brende, who called on the prime minister here at the PM Office.

The National Skills Development Accelerator will be led and guided by a team of Co-Chairs from the public and private sectors. The government will be represented by Shafqat Mahmood, Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training and  Zulfiqar Bukhari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development.

The Co-Chairs from the private sector include Ms Shazia Syed, Managing Director of Unilever Pakistan, and Mohammad Aurangzeb, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Habib Bank Limited.

The prime minister apprised the visiting dignitary about the government’s reform agenda especially in the economic sector and environment protection. He said the government was focusing on strategic sectors that would augment economic growth, including academia, policy makers and technical experts from the education and skills development.

Imran Khan shared his government’s political and financial commitment to reform the skills development sectors in Pakistan and thanked the World Economic Forum for choosing Pakistan as a founding member of the “National Accelerator” initiative.

Given its global reach, experience and expertise, the prime minister expressed his confidence that the WEF’s engagement would help provide new opportunities for Pakistan’s youth and help them develop new skills to fully embrace the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The prime minister also apprised the WEF President of Pakistan’s perspective on regional issues, including the policy of “peaceful neighbourhood” and vision of peace , progress and prosperity.

WEF President Borge Brende stated that “the launch of the National Accelerator on closing the Skills Gap is an important milestone in our relationship with Pakistan and it is just the start.”

Many of Pakistan’s national priorities, he said, were the core focus of the Forum’s work. From education to the skill development of youth; from environment protection, water resource management, industrialization and connectivity to the regional cooperation, the Forum was ready to offer its platform to support Pakistan’s economic transformation, he added.

Borge Brende lauded the prime minister for his vision and the government’s initiative towards environment protection, making it a key priority area for the first time in the history of the country.

He also acknowledged and appreciated the prime minister’s vision for peace in the region and Pakistan’s positive engagement at the international level.

Borge Brende also extended an invitation to the prime minister to attend 50th anniversary of World Economic Forum, which would be held in Davos in January 2020.

Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood, Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood, Adviser on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Adviser on Institutional Reforms and Austerity Dr Ishrat Hussain and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mehmood were present during the meeting.

The WEF president was accompanied by South Asia Lead World Economic Forum Andrew Ghazalia, Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) CEO Jawad Khan, Unilever Pakistan MD Ms Shazia Syed and President & CEO Habib Bank Ltd Mohammad Aurangzeb.