ISLAMABAD: Energy is the key to growth and progress but it has to be affordable, accessible and sustainable, said caretaker Energy Minister Muhammad Ali, while addressing the ‘Fuelling Futures’, the Career Expo 2024.

The first-of-its-kind two-day career expo, organised by the Ministry of Energy in collaboration with Pakistan Petroleum Ltd, was inaugurated at the Pakistan China Friendship Centre on Thursday.

“The energy sector is going through a massive transformation and the world is focused on global green energy,” he said.

“This is the future and it has huge potential. The students who have to enter the job market soon need to focus on careers in the energy sector and upcoming technologies,” the minister added.

With the participation of students belonging to all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the event created awareness regarding oil, gas and mineral companies, giving insights on how the system works and what opportunities are present for the students in the field.

Mr Ali added that the expo and conference reflected the commitment to foster talent development and driving innovation in the workforce.

“Investing in our youth and skills development has to be the cornerstone of future energy roadmap, only then we can harness the true potential of young engineers, subject specialists and experts,” he added, stressing on the importance of utilising local resources, be it natural or human.

“We have huge reserves of metals and minerals including copper, gold and even rare earth metals, and these are the essentials in upcoming technologies.”

He guided the students to focus on jobs in the energy sector as it was shifting from the government ownership to private sector domination.

“Pakistan is energy deficient and an oil importer. This places a significant burden on our economy, hence there is opportunity to convert the energy deficiency to surplus,” the caretaker minister said.

The career expo provided the undergraduates and graduates with a unique platform to explore exciting career prospects in the energy and mineral sectors.

The event facilitated meaningful interactions, and career development resources for attendees the students as well as young graduates with the senior management and human resource representatives of around 30 universities and 14 oil and gas and minerals-related companies.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2024