Shahbaz Sharif kicks off 2-day Skills Expo & Job Fair- 2015

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that 60 percent population of the country comprises on youth. He said that youth is our future and it is our responsibility to make future of the country and the nation bright.

Addressing TEVTA Skills Expo-2015 and Career Counseling Conference, Shahbaz Sharif said that holding of Skills Expo by TEVTA is an excellent step and this is the first and unique programme of its kind in the last seven years. He congratulated Minister for Industry, Chairman TEVTA, Secretary Industry, Board of Governors of TEVTA, trainers, master trainers and the male and female students for holding this exhibition. He said that the institutions like TEVTA, PVTC and Skill Development Company are playing effective role in preparing skilled manpower and their programmes fully reflect vision of Punjab government.

He said that Punjab government has fixed a target of making 20 lakh youth skillful according to the market needs during next three years which would be achieved at every cost. He said that we will welcome the cooperation of World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other monetary institutions in these programmes.

The Chief Minister said that if these institutions did not support us, we will provide resources for making the youth skillful for the bright future of Pakistan and he is ready to provide billions of rupees in this regard. Shahbaz Sharif while announcing to give interest-free loan  of 75 thousand rupees each to four thousand skilled youth said that these loans will be distributed among skilled youth completing training with the collaboration of TEVTA and Akhuwat for which 50 crore rupees have been allocated. He said that the aim of this excellent programme is to provide honourable job to skillful youth. He said that the provision of resources for empowering youth through technical training is a useful investment and happy news of bright future.

Shahbaz Sharif said that development goals cannot be achieved without empowering youth comprising 60 percent population. He said that TEVTA is playing an important role for preparing skilled manpower according to the market needs and promotion of technical education. He said that there will be revolution of skill development to the efforts of this institution.

He expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of 2-day Skills Expo & Job Fair- 2015 arranged by Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority at Lahore International Expo Centre, here today. Provincial Ministers Ch. Muhammad Shafiq, Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha, Secretaries Labour, Industry, Information, Chief Executive Punjab Skills Development Fund, Consul Generals of America and China, Chairman TEVTA Irfan Qaiser Sheikh and a large number of male and female students were present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said that Punjab government is paying special attention to skill development and this exhibition will be helpful in preparing skilled manpower. He said that instead of spending money on buildings, equipping the male and female students with technical education is the vision of Punjab government and this is the only way to take Pakistan forward.

He said that image of the country will be enhanced by making the youth skilled in agriculture, industry and other sectors according to the market demands and TEVTA is working most effectively in this regard and also forwarding the vision of Punjab government. Shahbaz Sharif said that preparation of manpower with quality training is of great importance for the stability of the country and achieving the production targets. He said that more skilled manpower will be helpful for strengthening the economy.

He said that it was impression in the past that big population increases problems, create hindrance in the development, however, although 60 percent population of the country comprising youth is a big challenge yet we have to change this challenge into opportunity and march forward by accepting this challenge. He said that youth will be empowered through vocational training programmes and Pakistan will be put on the road to progress and prosperity.

He said that there has been no coordinated contact of industry, agriculture and other sectors of economic development with the vocational training institutions in the history of the country and all matters have been dealt individually due to which skilled force could not be prepared according to the market requirements.

The Chief Minister said that there is great potential in the country which could not be benefitted. He said that now Punjab government restored coordinated contact between industry, agriculture and other economic development sectors and the vocational training institutions due to which skilled manpower is being prepared according to market needs and the economy of the country will progress. He said that all stakeholders should jointly evolve such a comprehensive and coordinated programme as could provide quality skill to youth and he is ready to provide funds of billions of rupees for this purpose.

He said that we have to make youth empowered by providing quality job opportunities and if we march forward seriously in this direction, Pakistan will certainly stand on its own feet. He said that we will make youth skillful for the bright future of the country and all stakeholders will have to discharge their obligation in this regard. He appealed to industrialists, business personalities, vocational training institutions, teachers and all stakeholders to come forward and provide such courses and training to the youth according to the market needs as not only have the demand in the country but also have abroad.

Shahbaz Sharif said that a seminar should also be arranged in this regard so that an effective programme could be evolved for the bright future and he is ready to sit with them. He said that terrorism and extremism have caused irreparable loss to Pakistan. He said that the entire nation has rendered unprecedented sacrifices in the war against terrorism. He said that Pak army, police and security institutions are writing new history of bravery and valor in the war against terrorism. He said that Pakistan is fighting war of its survival and expressed the hope that terrorism will be defeated and country will be made haven of peace. He said that enemy wants to create anarchy and de-stability in Pakistan, however, its conspiracy will never succeed and enemy will be defeated through power of unity and its nefarious designs will be foiled.

The Chief Minister said that although bullet of gun is essential for elimination of terrorism yet tablets of skilled development, education, health, provision of jobs and elimination of poverty are also vital. He said that Punjab government has started a number of programmes for making youth skillful under which lakhs of youth have been made skilled and the destiny of the country and the nation will be changed by making 20 lakh youth skilled during next three years.

He said that holding road shows can also be helpful if we provide skills to the youth according to the market requirements otherwise this will be wastage of resources. Shahbaz Sharif said that holding of road shows without vocational training to the youth and a strategy of promotion of effective technical education is useless. He said that the targets of promotion of vocational training should be achieved first and then road shows should be held.

Terming the criticism by opponents of public welfare projects as unjustified, the Chief Minister said that metro bus projects are for the poor and the common man. He said if bulletproof vehicles of crores of rupees imported for elite, it is right and if resources spent on the welfare of the common man, it is objected. He said that labourers, teachers, lawyers, widows, orphans and common man are benefitting from metro bus service. He said that if preparing projects for common man is a sin, he will commit this sin hundred times. He said that Punjab government has diverted resources to poor people. He said that interest-free loans of 11 billion rupees have been distributed among 11 lakh families through Akhuwat and the recovery ratio of these loans is more than 99 percent.

Addressing the function, Provincial Finance Minister Dr. Ayesha Ghaus Pasha said that provision of fruits of development and making Punjab prosperous is the mission of Punjab government and every effort will be made for its accomplishment. He said that an effective strategy has been evolved for increasing growth rate in Punjab under which private investment will be promoted and vocational training will be imparted to 20 lakh youth during next three years.

Industry Minister Ch. Muhammad Shafiq said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has encouraged by participating in the exhibition arranged by TEVTA. He said that our aim is to provide such technical training to the youth of Pakistan and Punjab through which they could serve the country and the nation and earn livelihood for them. Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said that youth are future of our country and empowering the youth is priority of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Chairman TEVTA Irfan Qaiser Sheikh threw light on the programmes of vocational training of TEVTA and told that small modern courses have been started according to the need of industries. He further told that talks are being held with best companies for providing jobs abroad to skilled youth. Earlier, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated a 2-day Skills Exhibition & Job Fair 2015 arranged by Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority at Lahore International Expo Centre.

The Chief Minister visited various stalls set up in the exhibition and appreciated the items prepared by youth placed by various companies on the stalls with regard to skills development. Shahbaz Sharif also met male and female students doing courses of technical training and also enquired from them about training courses.