Free technical education for 4,000 youth of tribal districts announced

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has announced free technical education for 4,000 men and women of the recently merged tribal districts of the province.

The ceremony was organised by Centre of Renewable Energy in collaboration with Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) and Patrip Foundation Germany. He also announced to develop the Government Technical & Vocational Centre for Women, Hayatabad.

The chief minister stressed the need for technical education to produce skilled manpower to meet the future needs of the province. TEVTA also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Skilled Women Service Centre and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company (EZDMC).

Provincial Minister for Finance Taimur Salim Jhagra and MD KP TEVTA also addressed the gathering. Member Provincial Assembly Malik Wajid and former MPA Saqibullah Chamkani, chief minister's principal secretary Muhammad Israr and other high-ups attended the ceremony. The chief minister was given a presentation on arrival at the centre, which is an extension of the Advance Technical Centre for the Promotion of Solar Energy.

The Patrip Foundation Germany would provide funding and technical assistance. Addressing the gathering, the chief minister assured the promotion of technical education and the strengthening of technical education authority of the province.

He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Rashakai Economic Zone necessitated the production of skilled manpower to guide the future of the province. TEVTA should serve as a launching pad for meeting the industrial and trade consumption in the future of this province, he added.

Mahmood Khan said the provincial government has a vision for poverty reduction and economic stability, opening new avenues of employment to the skilled manpower. "We want the provision of jobs and a clear direction for the trained youth," he said, adding the government had taken a number of steps for the youth of the tribal districts.

The 4,000 youth will start getting training from March. The women's vocational training centre would be further expanded enabling the youth to get a place in the market matching their skills, he added.

Mahmood Khan stressed the need for the active role of private sector, adding that the public sector was overburdened, and his government wanted a welcoming role of the private sector to share the burden of engaging the youth in the productive sectors.

The chief minister called for the capacity building through discovering the solar energy avenue in order to cope with the energy crises in the country. This province has a lot of potentials that need to be tapped to produce environment-friendly energy. He called upon the traders and industrialists to stay in touch with the TEVTA that would provide skilled manpower for commercial activities. The CM said that TEVTA should cooperate with donors and industrialists to engage the skilled manpower.