Chairs high-level review meeting on the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi. Photo: File
PESHAWAR:
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has called for swift, results-driven implementation of youth skills development and employment programs, stressing that government investments must deliver real economic gains and better livelihoods across the province.
Chaired a high-level review meeting on the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) at the Chief Minister’s House, Afridi directed all departments to focus on time-bound execution with clear accountability and measurable outcomes under the Skills Development and Employment Promotion Program.
“Youth are a strategic asset for the province and the nation,” the Chief Minister said. “Aligning their skills with market needs and creating clear pathways to jobs and entrepreneurship is a core pillar of our development strategy.”
He emphasized the need for a unified, data-backed roadmap to expand TEVTA’s efforts and instructed officials to hold a dedicated follow-up meeting on the Rural Economic Transformation Project (RETP) right after Eid, complete with a full progress report.
Officials briefed the meeting that RETP is supporting 42,000 young people through startup grants, with an average of Rs73,000 disbursed per beneficiary. So far, Rs397 million has reached 5,445 eligible recipients. The project is also facilitating jobs for 750 trained individuals and aims to provide internships and placements for up to 25,000 youth.
Under the Rs3 billion Ehsaas Hunar Program, interest-free loans of up to Rs500,000 are boosting youth entrepreneurship, with Rs585 million already disbursed to 1,211 beneficiaries.
A separate on-the-job training scheme for TEVTA graduates offers a monthly stipend of Rs15,000. To date, 88 graduates have begun hands-on training in industrial units, while 560 trainees have been placed in 85 establishments.
Special attention was given to the merged districts, where a Rs685 million fast-track skills program targets 3,000 youth with financial and technical aid.
