Punjab Minister for Industries and Trade Mian Aslam Iqbal has said that the Punjab government has set a target of technical training of 2.5 million male and female youth under the Punjab Growth Strategy 2023.

He revealed this while addressing a press conference along with Chairman Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) Ali Salman Siddique here on Friday. He said the TEVTA would contribute 35 percent to this programme and would impart technical training to 875,000 students. TEVTA is providing technical education to 90,000 students annually, he said.

The minister further said that Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar will inaugurate Hunarmand Nojwan Programme on Saturday (today) under which 100,000 more students would be provided technical education. He said keeping in view the industries requirement, 56 new disciplines are being introduced for the students and cooperation from the foreign institutions would also be sought in this regard.

He said special desks are being set up in the office of Overseas Pakistan Commission and Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the export of trained workforce. He said the TEVTA has signed an agreement with the Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS) under which the later would initially provide training to 30 students. Similar agreement was also signed with Uber which would train 1,000 students who would be able to get employment from the platform of Uber.

The Minister said that another agreement has been signed with the Malaysian company e-Commerce which would organize 6-month course for the students. An agreement also signed with the Microsoft Corporation which would provide training to 50,000 students in next three year. He said jobs would be created for female by providing training through mobile app while talks are underway for on-job training with the APTMA.