Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has officially launched ‘Parwaaz Card’ which the provincial government describes as the first-ever project to support skilled youths and create more jobs for them in Pakistan and overseas.
At the launching ceremony, the Chief Minister announced interest-free financial support of up to Rs 300,000 million for skilled workers, especially those for overseas employment. The initiative is aimed at helping young people break the dependency on overseas employment agents and directly support them with financial assistance to look for improved job opportunities.
Addressing the ceremony, Maryam Nawaz identified the progress done regarding technical training within the province. She said that over 250,000 youth have been trained through technical programmes in Punjab out of which over 114,000 have successfully found jobs. According to official figures, some 97,000 trained youth found jobs within Pakistan and 33,000 found jobs abroad.
In addition to the Parwaaz Card, the chief minister also launched a number of complementary programmes, which include ‘Creative Hands,’ ‘Rah-e-Rozgar’ and ‘Skills Development Portal.’ These programmes are designed to enhance technical education and improve job placements, and also enhance coordination between training institutes and employers.
During the event, Maryam Nawaz met 90 students who had received technical training in different trades under the Punjab Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department. She also got into contact with students who identified as transgender, as she appreciated their determination and achievement.
The chief minister introduced a Central Skills Information System to keep a check on the training institutes in the entire province of Punjab. And, she said, the system would monitor everything from the course content to the job placement over a single digital dashboard.
Emphasising the government’s commitment, she said scholarships will be provided during the training and employment support ensured thereafter before adding that the provincial resources are being invested in the future of the youth.
She also disclosed that a delegation has been dispatched to Gulf countries for the purpose of searching for job opportunities for Pakistani workers.
Also read: Parwaaz Card makes working abroad easier with interest-free loans
