ICCI and NAVTTC Join Hands to equip youth with market-relevant skills

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): Chairperson National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Gulmina Bilal Ahmad, accompanied by Suleman Mirza, Director NSIS, and Zeeshan Ali of Takamol, visited Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) and held a meeting with ICCI President Nasir Mansoor Qureshi. The meeting also included a delegation of overseas promoters led by Faheem Iqbal, Chairman Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association (POEPA), along with Umar Hannan Qureshi, Convener Export of Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Committee at ICCI. The discussion focused on the problems faced by overseas promoters and explored a way forward to ensure smooth facilitation of manpower export.
Chairperson Gulmina Bilal Ahmad highlighted that NAVTTC has launched multiple initiatives to equip youth with market-relevant skills and empower women in trades traditionally dominated by men. She credited the Prime Minister’s personal interest in Pakistan’s skilling agenda as a driving force behind its nationwide impact.
She further explained that NAVTTC, in collaboration with Takamol , ensures that Pakistani workers meet Saudi employment requirements through mandatory skill verification tests conducted at approved centers in Pakistan. NAVTTC plays a key role in facilitating this process to align with international standards. She assured that the genuine concerns of overseas promoters would be addressed and stressed that ICCI–NAVTTC collaboration will help impart skills demanded in international markets.
Speaking on the occasion, ICCI President Nasir Mansoor Qureshi appreciated NAVTTC’s transformative role in reshaping Pakistan’s technical and vocational training sector. He emphasized that close collaboration between NAVTTC and the business community is crucial to developing a workforce aligned with industry and global market needs. He assured ICCI’s full cooperation in promoting training programs that enhance youth employment, empower women, and facilitate international labor mobility, particularly to Saudi Arabia, China, and other markets. He also offered ICCI’s support for hosting joint programs, awareness sessions, and training workshops for the business community and youth.
Earlier, Faheem Iqbal and Umar Hannan Qureshi raised the concerns of overseas promoters, pointing to delays in approvals, irrational procedures, and the need to abolish the trade test requirement for loaders and unloaders by NAVTTC. They urged for reforms to facilitate manpower export and reduce bottlenecks.
Abdul Rehman Qureshi, Muhammad Talha, Noor Fatima Alvi,Zeeshan Ali, Saeed Khan, Zia Qureshi and Zanab Khan were also present on the occasion.
The meeting concluded with a mutual understanding that strengthened coordination between NAVTTC and ICCI will help streamline processes, resolve the issues of promoters, and better prepare Pakistan’s workforce for overseas employment opportunities.