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s Pakistan navigates a rapidly changing economic landscape, the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has never been more evident. I recently had the privilege to attend a two-day international dialogue on TVET in the Shifting Socio-Economic Paradigm. The dynamic event at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, brought together policymakers, international experts, academia and private sector leaders to deliberate on how TVET can drive inclusive growth, empower youth and strengthen Pakistan’s socio-economic resilience.
The dialogue, organised under the Team Europe’s TVET Sector Support Programme, was a joint initiative of the European Union, GIZ (German Cooperation), the British Council and the NAVTTC, in collaboration with the government. The conference provided an exceptional platform to explore strategies for aligning education, skills training and employment with emerging national and global market demands. It also reflected the continued commitment of the German government towards strengthening Pakistan’s TVET ecosystem through GIZ and other collaborative efforts.
At Digital Time Communications, we have long recognised the role of skill development in shaping Pakistan’s youth and addressing socio-economic disparities. Through our recent collaboration with the European Union and the European Research Institute, we led a national awareness campaign on the risks of irregular migration. Our message emphasised the need to equip young people with employable skills, enabling them to earn a dignified livelihood within Pakistan and, if they choose to migrate, to do so safely and as qualified professionals. This alignment between local opportunity creation and global employability directly connects with the TVET vision shared at the dialogue.
The inaugural session of the event set a powerful tone with opening remarks by Gulmina Bilal Ahmad, the NAVTTC chairperson, and a keynote address by Philipp Oliver Gross, deputy ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan. Both emphasised that empowering Pakistan’s youth through technical education is key to economic stability and social progress. Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the federal minister for education and professional taining, and Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, reiterated the government’s commitment to integrating TVET with national development priorities.
Ina Lepel, the ambassador of Germany to Pakistan, also attended the conference. In her closing remarks, she reaffirmed Germany’s partnership with Pakistan in advancing quality technical education and appreciated the collaborative efforts of all partners in empowering youth through skills.
A key session titled Intersecting Policy Imperatives for Youth Engagement, Education, Skills Training and Employment drew attention to the urgent need for policy coherence among various sectors. Chaudhry Salik Hussain, the federal minister for overseas Pakistanis, Dr Mansoor Zaib Khan from GIZ and Muhammad Aamir Jan, the NAVTTC executive director, shared valuable insights on bridging gaps between training and employability, ensuring Pakistan’s workforce can compete globally.
Pakistan continues to face high youth unemployment and the challenge of irregular migration. Such initiatives are, therefore, both timely and transformative.
One of the most engaging discussions was on improving governance for a robust TVET system, featuring international expert Dr Naji Al-Mahdi from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority. He outlined successful global governance models that ensure accountability, quality and responsiveness to labour market needs. Complementing this, Jamal Malik from the Special Investment Facilitation Council and Syed Bulent Sohail highlighted Pakistan’s structural and legislative reforms needed to strengthen the TVET ecosystem.
Equally important were the conversations around inclusion and accessibility. The session on TVET Opportunities for Gender, Marginalised Communities, and Vulnerable Groups brought forward compelling insights from Clara Farina Schenck (GIZ), Sarah Parvez (British Council, Pakistan) and Anwar Sadat (Handicap International, Pakistan). Their discussions focused on ensuring that women and persons with disabilities have equitable access to skill development and employment, a challenge that remains critical to Pakistan’s inclusive growth agenda.
Another remarkable panel addressed the link between skills and green recovery, especially in the context of climate resilience. Nadir Gul Barech, the CEO of Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund and Professor Peter Dickinson from the University of Warwick shared inspiring examples of integrating green skills into workforce development to prepare the youth for sustainable and environmentally responsible careers.
All the sessions underscored how TVET can act as a bridge between education and employment, enabling the youth to become active contributors to Pakistan’s economy. The dialogue highlighted the vital role of National Vocational Qualification Framework in standardising skills, improving quality assurance and promoting global recognition of Pakistani qualifications.
Pakistan continues to face high youth unemployment and the challenge of irregular migration. Therefore, such initiatives are both timely and transformative. The dialogue reaffirmed the need for labour assessment surveys, evidence-based policy reforms and stronger linkages between public institutions, private sector and international partners.
The conference was not just a policy dialogue, but also a call to action – a call to strengthen systems, invest in human capital and ensure that the country’s young population, its greatest asset, has the tools, opportunities and confidence to thrive in a shifting socio-economic paradigm. The commitment and collaboration demonstrated by the EU, GIZ, the British Council, NAVTTC and the government raised hopes of a more skilled and future-ready Pakistan.
The writer, a media and development communications profesional, is the CEO of Digital Time Communications.