PPAF Initiative Equips Balochistan’s Youth with Skills to Drive Social and Economic Change

Islamabad (29 NovemberMarch 2024)



Islamabad, November 29, 2024. By equipping young individuals with market-relevant skills, we not only open doors to employment but also build a self-reliant and prosperous Pakistan. This was said by Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP), during the certificate distribution and engagement session with Madrasah (seminary) students from Balochistan at the Institute of Rural Management. The session featured 100 students (80 men and 20 women) participating in a two-month TVET programme under the PPAF-funded Bridging Educational Polarization for Social Harmony Project, implemented by BRSP. Training includes Building Electrician, Solar Panel Repairing, E-commerce, Motorcycle and Mobile Repairing, Basic Computer Courses, and Tailoring. Additionally, 20 female students in Quetta are receiving specialized training in Beautician Skills, Tailoring, and Basic Computing. Rana Mashhood emphasized the government’s dedication to empowering youth through education and vocational training. “This project exemplifies the government’s vision of creating a skilled, self-reliant generation that will significantly contribute to national development. The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme fully supports such initiatives and looks forward to future. Nadir Gul Barech, CEO of PPAF, emphasized the transformative impact of the Bridging Educational Polarization for Social Harmony Project, which integrates formal education with vocational training to address unemployment and foster economic resilience in underserved areas of Balochistan. “This initiative equips 1,168 students, including 271 girls, across 20 institutions with market-relevant skills such as Solar Panel Repairing, E-commerce, and Tailoring, ensuring they are prepared for sustainable economic opportunities,” he said. “By focusing on emerging trades, this project bridges regional disparities, empowering youth from all backgrounds to contribute to a more equitable and harmonious Pakistan, he further added. Earlier, while welcoming the chief guest and the audience, CEO IRM Dr. Roomy Hayat shared that the organization has been working for the uplift of marginalized youth from rural areas for the past 30 years while offering more than 100 technical and vocational skills trades, and so far. Root Hayat said that IRM has been able to impart employable skills to more than 1.5 million youth across the country and the region.