and training, which is a viable avenue for youth who had poor quality basic education or no chance at all to acquire skills for work and life.
“These policies must ensure that stronger links are made between the learning outcomes and skills achieved through education and training and the needs and prospects of young people and adults in the professional world,” said the minister.
The Minister of State said that it is important that Pakistani youth capitalize the situational demand and adopt the opportunity to play a proactive role in the education sector. “It is this youth that will promote the name of Pakistan at an international level and will contribute positively to Pakistan’s economy in the future,” he said.
Press release adds: The other guests on the panel included Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan Provincial Minister of Education Punjab, Bushra Gohar Senior Politician and Media Advisor ANP, Faisal Bari CEO & Research Fellow, Institute of Development & Economic Alternatives (IDEA), Amir Hussain General Manager Education PPAF, Mosharraf Zaidi lead Alif Ailan, Barbera Payne Senior Education Advisor, Jaweria Ahmed Entrepreneur CGNP and Mehnaz Aziz, Chief Executive Children’s Global Network Pakistan.
Punjab Minister for Education Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan during the panel discussion shared that Punjab is the first province to have its own youth policy and that we are improving quality of education introducing nurseries and Early childhood education, building capacities of teachers and doing maximum to improve education.
Bushra Gohar said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been a dynamic society where opportunities have been created. “Our youth is also very dynamic. Vertical education system should not be created. Provinces should be given independence to work on their own,” she added.
Earlier, Mehnaz Aziz, Chief Executive and Founding Director Children’s Global Network Pakistan briefly gave an introduction of the programme ‘Skills for Employability-Training Educational Entrepreneurs KPK’. Through this programme she said approximately 913 youth with 75 per cent females have learnt entrepreneurship and school management skills. The education entrepreneurship programme has identified, facilitated and trained youth in opening ECE community centres, coaching centres and low cost private schools. 228 educational institutions have been initiated with 67 per cent in rural areas while the remaining 33 per cent are in urban marginalised slums of Mardan, Swabi, Noshera and Peshawar. The other speakers also appreciated the Social Education Program for youth.
During the panel discussion it was suggested that youth and entrepreneurs should be linked to Benazir Income Support Program, Micro Finance Banks and PM Youth Loan Scheme so that the youth is able to carry on their work without worrying about finances.