KARACHI, July 4: About 50,000 youths will be trained this year under Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Youth Development Programme, which is aimed at addressing the issues of poverty and unemployment through human resource development.

Under the programme, for which all department have been asked to submit proposals about the mode of training of youths by them along with types of training and cost, the unemployed youths will be offered various skill development opportunities and job-oriented certification courses to adapt to local and international job markets.

The programme aimed at providing opportunities for short-term employment and skill development to youths in the province.

Elaborating on the programme, Dr Shireen, deputy coordinator, told Dawn that for selection of trainees’ families where not a single member is employed will be given preference. The programme will also target women in rural areas to alleviate poverty.

She said that there was no urban rural quota for the programme, which will be launched to cover every district of Sindh.

All the administrative departments will be responsible to draw up training proposals in clearly defining the target group for each trade or field along with duration and cost of trainings. Similarly the department would identify training institutes through which training will be imparted.

The proposals shall clearly define the total number of trainees, number of courses and their duration, their qualification criteria and private institutes or facilities to be hired contracted for the purpose.

Preference will be given to candidates from household with less income and there will be at least one candidate from each unemployed family. A candidate will be provided the opportunity for only one training course in a year.

Age brackets shall be training specific preferably between 18-35 years. The programmed management unit (PMU) will be responsible for disbursing the stipends to trainees according to their qualification as under: Matriculate or below - Rs4,000; Intermediate - Rs5,000; graduate-Rs6,000 and Masters - Rs7,000.

There is great excitement in various departments to implement the programme.

Additional Secretary Agriculture Mohammad Aslam told Dawn that his ministry would provide training to semi-literate youths as tractor operators, pickers and tube-well mechanics. Graduates will be training on crop management and in research on pesticides and improved varieties of crops.

He said that the ministry had already undertaken a programme for on-job training of agriculture graduates in the fields on a monthly stipend of Rs10,000. This training programme will be merged with Benazir Bhutto Shaheed programme.

The industry department will send selected youths to local industries for the on-job training for low- and middle-grade jobs.

Secretary Mines and Minerals Younus Dhaga said that his department would train about 1000 youths in three years. Educated and uneducated youths will be sent to coal mines for training at Thar coalmines, which is set for rapid development in the near future.

The programme also has a category, which shall target the trained and skilled youths available in different trades and professions but still unemployed for placement on various jobs/training.

The administrative departments shall clearly define the requirement of persons to be selected for performing on-job assignments and prospects for their future employment. The existing vacancy position in the departments shall not be disturbed with this arrangement. The stipend for the period of training will be paid to the trainees according to their qualification/course.