On Monday, the Punjab government marked World Youth Skills Day with full spirit and purpose. The event aimed to highlight how technical and vocational training can shape inclusive economies and strong, stable societies.
This year, youth skills development in Punjab has received top priority. The government has allocated Rs26 billion for this cause in the fiscal year 2025–26. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision is guiding the entire strategy. Her leadership has placed skill-building at the core of the province’s economic goals.
For the first time, all technical and vocational training efforts are now united. The government has created a single body named the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department (SDED). This new department brings together the work of PSDF, TEVTA, PVTC, PSDA, and PBTE under one clear direction.
The aim is simple — align all efforts with current job market needs. By streamlining operations, youth skills development in Punjab can be more targeted and effective.
So far, 600,000 young people have been trained under different programs. Around 44% of them are women. These programs offer training in 250 different trades.
Among the key projects, PSDF: Tabeer stands out. It has been allocated Rs2.7 billion to help over 2,500 skilled youth find jobs abroad. Another project, PSDF Mein Digital, focuses on digital training for 3,000 educated women in rural areas. This initiative has a budget of Rs1 billion.
Then comes PSDF – Pehchan, a special program to train 2,250 transgender individuals. It is supported by Rs870 million. All these programs reflect a broader effort to include all segments of society.
These new steps in youth skills development in Punjab open doors to quality jobs. They connect talent with national and global markets. They also help communities become stronger and more self-reliant.
This unified approach ensures that youth skills development in Punjab is not just a policy goal but a practical reality.