The board of directors of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) Monday approved Rs 200 million for the establishment of as many as eight skill development centres (SDCs) in quake-hit areas of Azad Kashmir and NWFP.
The meeting, chaired by Federal Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Minister Jahangir Khan Tareen, was attended by Federal Industries and Production Secretary Syed Zaheer Ali Shah, Technology Up-gradation and Skill Development Company (Tusdec) Chairman Almas Hyder, PIDC Chief Executive Officer Abdul Bari Khan and other board members.
"These skill development centres, which will become operational by April next, will impart training to youth in different skills and trades especially in construction and tourism", said Tareen, while talking to media men after the meeting.
Tareen said that the project to be executed by Tusdec in Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Balakot, and Batgram, would not only contribute significantly to the reconstruction activity in the areas affected by October 8 tremor but also help bring down the incidence of poverty.
The minister said that the Muzaffarabad centre would also have the facility of imparting training in the skill of furniture manufacturing.
He said the local executive committees would run these centers, which will have pre-fabricated steel structures, and hoped that over 4,000 youth would get training in eight different skills in a period of one-year.
Talking about the efforts being made by the government to up-grade technology in the industrial sector, he said that Tusdec would set up a Tools, Dies and Moulds Center (TDM) in Karachi and the foundation-stone laying ceremony of this center would be held next month.
Earlier, Tusdec General Manager (skill development) Colonel Syed Anwar Ali Pervez (Rets) gave a briefing on projects being initiated by the Company for technology up-gradation and skill development in the country.