Prime Minister calls for a National Skills University

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has called for a feasibility study into the establishment of a National Skills University in Islamabad. The Prime Minister has tasked the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training with exploring the establishment of such a center, in order to address skilled labor shortages across industries.

The proposal seeks to address the current skills shortages that have plagues all sectors, despite numerous efforts by government and private organizations. It appears that the proposal would see a central University, with skills development satellites set up across industrial townships like Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, Quetta, Multan, Peshawar, Kohat, Faisalabad, Sialkot and Gujranwala.

The Prime Minister stated that fostering a qualified workforce would be key to improved socioeconomic mobility and to the equitable distribution of resources more broadly. He also drew a link between the professional development of workers across all categories and the growth of the country’s export industry.

The proposal would encourage significant collaboration with major export bodies and the national peak body for commerce and industry to identify which skill sets require development.

image source: dailytimes.com.pk