‘PSDF striving to empower youth, women’

LAHORE:Chief Minister Task Force on Skills Development Chairperson Adnan Afzal Chattha said that the government will usher a skilled and empowered youth population as per vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

During a visit to Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) head office, Chattha observed that the government intended to boost the skill development of youth, marginalised communities and women from rural areas to bridge the skills gap in a rapidly evolving job market.

He said the Task Force aimed to create sustainable employment opportunities, drive economic growth, uplift the socio-economic status of the youth, and provide high-quality human resources for international placement, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) regions.

In a meeting held at PSDF head office, it was discussed to focus on programmes for skill development, which included the CM Skilled Punjab Development Programme, CM Skill Development Programme for Transgender community and Empowering Women through IT training across Punjab. Chattha highlighted the CM’s focus on developing the ecosystem of international accreditations, targeting global job placements, resulting in a higher remittance flow and improved living standards, which he emphasised would come from globally recognised certifications in IT courses by industry leaders such as Google, IBM, Meta, Microsoft etc. In this way, country's freelance landscape will be improved and opportunities for the workforce will be increased in the global market.