Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has directed the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme (BBSYDP) to impart training in nursing, paramedics and hotel management so that the trained youths could have employment opportunities not only in Pakistan but also in other countries.
The chief minister also disclosed the plan to establish the first-ever technical training university in Sindh to empower the youth, particularly girls, to meet the requirement of certification for jobs in other countries. The university, he said, would equip the youths with the skills which were in demand in other countries.
He expressed these views while presiding over a meeting of BBSYDP at CM House the other day. Chairman of the programme retired Air Vice Marshal Riaz Ahmad Khan, Finance Secretary Sohail Rajput, Principal Secretary to the CM Alamuddin Bullo and other officials concerned attended the meeting.
The chief minister said there was a need for nursing and paramedical staff both in the public and private sector hospitals. Therefore, he said, the BBSYDP must offer technical training in the trades. “You must study the market requirements and offer courses accordingly,” he directed the BBSYDP chairman. He added there was a demand for paramedical and nursing staff in Arab countries and the opportunities must be availed.
Shah said he had been working on a project to establish the first-ever technical training university in Sindh for which documentation had almost been completed.
On the occasion, Secretary to the Chief Minister on Universities and Boards Iqbal Durrani briefed the chief minister on the draft of the university and trades.
Earlier, the BBSYDP chairman said the programme was introduced in 2008-9. It was designed to reduce poverty and unemployment by providing skilled training to youths in the employable trades; develop quality human resource through a strategic and focused programme; boost economy of the province in particular and the country in general.
According to him, the programme has been contributing towards improving the socio-economic conditions of the masses and generate employment opportunities. It increased the public and private sectors efficiency through trained and skilled workforce.
Under the programme, training is being imparted in 34 different trades, including in those in the health sector such as ECG technician, anaesthesia, X-ray technician, OT technician, lab technician. But the most popular trades among the aspiring girls are beautician, stitching and computer courses. So far, 292,000 youths have been trained in various trades successfully. The BBSYDP also developed training material and manuals of 389 trades in English, Sindhi and Urdu, he added.
The chairman said it was in recognition of the successful training given by the BBSYDP that the World Bank agreed to fund skilled training under the Sindh Skills Development Programme.