Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a high-level meeting to review efforts aimed at increasing employment opportunities for Pakistan’s youth.

The PM reaffirmed the government’s commitment to empowering young people through skills, jobs, and innovation. The meeting focused on expanding employment opportunities both within Pakistan and abroad.

The prime minister chaired a review meeting on measures to increase job opportunities for youth across the country. He expressed satisfaction over the performance of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program, headed by Rana Mashhood, and highlighted its growing impact.

“Youth are the future of our nation,” Shehbaz Sharif said during the meeting.

The PM stressed the need to accelerate steps for providing technical and vocational training to young people. He noted that reforms in the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission have led to significant improvement.

According to him, the training program launched through Neotech has already started yielding positive results.

Shehbaz Sharif emphasised that training youth in high-demand skills with international certification remains a top priority. Officials briefed the meeting on ongoing efforts to equip young people with skills aligned with global job markets.

These initiatives aim to enhance employability and create pathways for both local and international employment.

Expanding job opportunities

During the briefing, it was shared that multiple job opportunities have been identified globally, with further work underway to expand these prospects. Sectors offering overseas employment include IT, healthcare, construction, tourism, and logistics.

At the national level, efforts are also being made to create more job opportunities through coordinated planning.

Officials informed the prime minister that the PM Youth Hub has become a central platform for accessing job-related information. Additionally, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) is tracking graduates from 282 universities through a dedicated app.

This system maintains a record of graduates securing jobs, which will help in shaping future education policies.

New technical education initiatives

The meeting was also briefed on the introduction of Matriculation Tech in 32 federal educational institutions. This initiative aims to provide technical training at an early stage.

Plans are underway to introduce Inter-Tech on a similar model to further expand technical education opportunities.

Several federal ministers attended the meeting, including Musaddik Malik, Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Attaullah Tarar. Chaudhry Salik, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima, and Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiani also participated.

Prime Minister Youth Program Chairman Rana Mashhood and the HEC chairman were also present.

Meeting with VOne Group delegation

Separately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met a delegation of global digital operator VOne Group, led by CEO Kaan Terzioglu.

The prime minister assured the delegation that the government is committed to providing all possible facilities to investors in Pakistan’s digital sector.

shehbaz and VOne

Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that the recent 5G spectrum auction reflects Pakistan’s positive and effective approach toward innovation. He said the government is working under a comprehensive strategy to boost innovation in IT and attract international investment.

The federal government, he added, is taking practical steps in collaboration with institutions to facilitate global investors.

Push for cashless economy

The prime minister reiterated that effective use of information technology to achieve a cashless economy is among the government’s top priorities. He stressed that transparency and investment across sectors are being strengthened through digital reforms.

VOne Group CEO Kaan Terzioglu praised the government’s efforts, saying Pakistan has taken effective steps to increase transparency and investment.

He also noted that Pakistan has made rapid progress toward a digital economy, particularly through the 5G spectrum auction.