KARACHI, Jan 16: Shell Liverwire Trust (SLT) and Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) has entered into an agreement to provide necessary technical skills to the youth, enabling them to plan and set up their own businesses.

Talking to the reporters after signing the memorandum of understanding (MoU), Smeda chief Iqbal Mustafa and Shell Group’s chairman Farooq Rehmatullah said the youth to be selected amongst 18 to 32 years of age would be provided all necessary technical skills, polish their business ideas on paper so that they could get finances, if required from the banks and could run their businesses with brighter chances of success.

“The MoU has offered an enquiry service and a training platform for selected individuals amongst the youth of Pakistan with the motivation, drive and potential to organize setup, conduct and manage a business of their own”.

SLT would be holding orientation and training workshops after selecting the youth, with higher potential and capability to initiate their own business. There would not be restriction of education, both either a street boy, or a university graduate may be selected for the training programme, Farooq told the reporters.

He said the similar programme had been launched in 19 other countries including United Kingdom, Oman, Iran etc., where six million youth was trained.

“Usually youth has bright ideas and we only shape it up, polish and make it tangible so that it makes sense for the financiers on one side and enhances the chances of success on the part of the trainee on the other”, Farooq observed.

He said Shell would be going for partnership with IBA and other organizations as a part of its social liability and would initially provide money for the fund of the Trust to be formed for this purpose.—APP