LAHORE: To introduce the youth of Punjab to technical and vocational skills education and opportunities, Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) has successfully launched phase one of a Skills Activation Campaign (pilot-run) in collaboration with the School Education Department (SED), with focus on the Higher Secondary Schools.
The launch ceremony for the campaign was held at Government Girls Higher Secondary School (GGHSS) Allama Iqbal Town (Umar Block), Lahore. The Minister for Education, Mr Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan inaugurated the campaign as the chief guest, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
While addressing at the ceremony, Rana Mashhood said, “Successful nations pay great attention and importance to technical and vocational skills education. The Punjab Chief Minister, Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is also passionate about creating opportunities for our youth to attain a quality education as well as technical and vocational skills. I congratulate PSDF for taking the CM’s vision and mission forward.”
During the pilot phase, this campaign will be launched in five districts of Punjab; including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha, Rawalpindi, and Multan, and it will cover 50 higher secondary schools. The objective of the campaign is to introduce the benefits of technical and vocational training and linkages to promising self-employment and formal opportunities at the right time.
While sharing his thoughts with the students, PSDF CEO Mr Jawad Khan said: “PSDF will not just provide you with training opportunities, we also promise to help you secure suitable employment or self-employment opportunities. PSDF is here to facilitate you on this journey but the onus is on you now to choose the best path for yourself, because your skill is your power.”
By conducting the same activity in 50 schools across selected districts of Punjab, PSDF hopes to motivate more students to sign up for technical and vocational education and pursue sustainable income generation opportunities.
Through this collaboration, SED and PSDF also hope to contribute to the skills development sector by developing a vocational curriculum and Training Learning Resources (TLRs), introducing soft skills modules, teachers training, and sponsor results-oriented research to improve TVET outcomes in schools.
