NAVTTC committed to youth empowerment: Farah Naz Akbar

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT) : Parliamentary Secretary for Federal Education and Professional Training Farah Naz Akbar said at the floor of the National Assembly that the Ministry, through the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), is devoted to inclusive development, human capital improvement, and youth empowerment through multiple skill development and education initiatives across the country.
She said the government, under the Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme (PMYSDP), has launched several free-of-cost training programmes across provinces to equip youth with employable skills aligned with national priorities and Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) objectives.
She noted that NAVTTC is focusing on ten key sectors — aesthetic health and care services, agriculture, banking and finance, construction and electrical engineering, driving, hospitality and tourism, information technology, languages, manufacturing and textiles, and mines and minerals — to create sustainable employment opportunities nationwide.
Under the health and care services training programme, 7,555 students were trained: 700 in Balochistan, 1,350 in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), 660 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 3,710 in Punjab, and 1,135 in Sindh. In the agriculture sector, 3,315 students received training: 535 in Balochistan, 475 in ICT, 440 in KP, 1,570 in Punjab, and 295 in Sindh. Similarly, in the banking and finance sector, 1,775 students were trained: 90 in Balochistan, 285 in ICT, 190 in KP, 930 in Punjab, and 280 in Sindh.
She said Rs. 15 billion had been allocated for this three-year project, of which Rs. 10 billion had already been utilized. She emphasized the need to further increase Pakistan’s budgetary allocations for education and health relative to GDP, noting that better investment in these sectors would directly enhance the Human Capital Index (HCI) and long-term economic growth.
Regarding the solarization of educational institutions, she said that in the first phase, 100 schools had been equipped with solar energy systems, while the second phase would cover the remaining schools facing frequent power breakdowns and local load-shedding.
She further informed the House that 24 out of 30 public universities have already been solarized, with the remaining six in the process. Alternative arrangements are being considered for universities housed in rented premises.