Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti said on Wednesday that the Youth Employment Programme would be implemented successfully. He made the remarks in Quetta during a meeting with Engineer Qamar-ul-Islam Raja, chairman of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), and its executive director, Nadia Karim.
Raja and Karim briefed the chief minister on the ongoing programme, which aims to provide employment and technical and vocational training to young people across Balochistan, especially in the targeted districts of South Balochistan.
Job vacancies and training targets for Balochistan youth
The chief minister was told that efforts were under way to provide job opportunities to 25,000 young people in the province. Officials said 6,000 vacancies had already been announced in various federal government departments, and more would be advertised in phases.
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NAVTTC will work with the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (B-TEVTA) to provide technical and vocational training to 10,000 youths in different sectors. The aim is to equip them with skills matching the needs of national and international labour markets.
Officials also told the chief minister that the first batch of 2,000 trainees would complete their training by December this year. Steps would then be taken to help them find work abroad and gain better access to international labour markets.
Bugti stresses practical skills and market-aligned training
Bugti said creating jobs and teaching modern technical skills to young people remained among the provincial government’s top priorities. He described the province’s youth as a valuable asset and called for practical measures to channel their potential in a positive direction.
He said academic degrees alone were not enough, and stressed vocational skills that would allow young people to secure dignified work. He directed that training programmes be aligned with actual market needs so that graduates could find sustainable employment.
The chief minister also said the benefits of vocational training should reach deserving youth, and urged a coordinated strategy to connect skilled young people with international work opportunities. He ordered that the programme’s results, transparency and progress be assessed on a regular basis.
The conference was also attended by NAVTTC Balochistan Director General Hussain Bakhsh Magsi, B-TEVTA Head Major (Retired) Abdul Kabir Zarkoon, and Secretary Labour and Manpower Balochistan Saleh Muhammad Nasar.
