Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the government is committed to providing better opportunities for education, skills development, employment and entrepreneurship to country’s youth.
He was chairing a meeting in Islamabad today to review the progress of ongoing projects under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program and proposals for new initiatives for the upcoming year.
The Prime Minister said efforts are being intensified to equip young people with world-class education and training in information technology and other modern sectors.
He directed Higher Education Commission and Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication to present a comprehensive action plan for aligning IT education in universities with international standards and global market requirements.
Shehbaz Sharif said the Prime Minister’s Youth Program should particularly focus on technical and vocational training to ensure employment opportunities for youth both within the country and abroad.
He also directed that various easy loan schemes for young entrepreneurs should be brought under one umbrella to facilitate youth seeking to start businesses.
The Prime Minister further instructed the Youth Program to collaborate with Ministry of Industries and Production for provision of electric bikes to youth hailing from low-income and middle-income families.
Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the performance of Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Program Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan and his team for effectively implementing various initiatives.
During the meeting, participants were briefed on effectiveness and progress of ongoing projects being executed under Prime Minister’s Youth Program.
The meeting was informed that over 800,000 youth and 2,000 institutions have been registered under the Digital Youth Hub, with more than 4,800 applications being received daily.
Participants were told that under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agri Loans Scheme, over 287,000 youth received 122.5 billion rupees in easy loans, generating more than 900,000 jobs.
The meeting was informed that the country’s first Youth and Adolescent Policy and Youth Employment Policy have been launched. It was further told that 400,000 youth participated in Sports and Talent Hunt Program this year.
Briefings were also given on Mixed Martial Arts, FIFA Arena, E-Sports and other proposed youth projects.
