PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Friday announced free technical education for 4,000 men and women of the merged tribal districts of the province.

The announcement was made during a ceremony held in collaboration between Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority and Germany’s Patrip Foundation developing a centre of renewable energy at the Government Technical and Vocational Centre for Women, Hayatabad, here.

A statement issued here quoted the chief minister as stressing the need for technical education to produce skilled manpower to meet future needs of the province.

The Tevta also signed a memorandum of understanding with skilled women service centre and KP EZDMC. Finance minister Taimur Salim Jhagra and the KP Tevta managing director also addressed the gathering.

Member of the Provincial Assembly Malak Wajid and former MPA Saqibullah Chamkani, principal secretary to the chief minister Mohammad Israr and other high-ups attended the ceremony.

CM asks traders, industrialists to contact Tevta for skilled manpower

The chief minister was given a detailed presentation and was shown around the centre, which was an extension of the Advanced Technical Centre for the Promotion of Solar Energy.

The Patrip Foundation will provide funding and technical assistance for the initiative, while the Wish International played a key role in the promotion of training, said the statement.

The CM promised the promotion of technical education and the strengthening of technical education authority of the province and said trained people could lead the country to new heights of development.

He said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and Rashakai economic zone necessitated the production of skilled manpower to guide the future of the province.

“The Tevta should serve as a launching pad for meeting the province’s industrial and trade needs,” he said.

Mr Mahmood said his government had a vision for the poverty reduction and economic stability, opening new avenue of employment to the skilled manpower.

“We want the provision of jobs and a clear direction for trained youths. We have already taken a number of steps for the development of the youths of merged districts. Four thousand youths will begin getting training next month. The women vocational training centre will be expended enabling youths to get a place in the market matching their skills,” he added.

The CM promised the provision of all-out assistance for such programmes.

He stressed the need for the active role of the private sector and said the public sector was overburdened and therefore, his government wanted a welcoming role for the private sector to share the burden of engaging the youth in the productive sectors.

Mr Mahmood called for the building of the capacity by discovering the solar energy avenue to cope with energy crisis in the country.

“This province has a lot of potentials that needed to be tapped in order to produce environmental friendly energy,” he said, adding that the project by the centre of renewable energy in the Wish International of the GIZ in the fields was a welcoming step.

The CM asked traders and industrialists to be in contact with Tevta to get skilled manpower for commercial activities.

“Tevta should also cooperate with traders, donors and industrialists for the provision of skilled manpower and thus, helping reduce poverty and overcome unemployment in the province,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2019