ISLAMABAD, NOV 26 /DNA/ – The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) have agreed to join hands to provide on-the-job training and develop skills of the youth of merged areas to improve their employability and make them trained & skilled workers for the commercial and industrial enterprises. This consensus was reached during an awareness session on the UNDP’s Accelerated Skills Development Program organized at ICCI. A significant number of ICCI member companies were present at the occasion.
Speaking at the occasion, Ahmed Umair, Senior Sector Specialist, UNDP shared the details of the Accelerated Skills Development Program for the youth of merged areas. He said that the 50 percent youth of the merged areas was below matric and it was very important to focus on their skills development to improve their employment prospects so that they could be integrated in the national economy. He said that this program would initially target 5500 members of youth in the age bracket of 18-38 years from merged areas who could not get better education during the unrest. He said that the program would cover 80 percent male and 20 percent females of merged areas. He said that ICCI should cooperate with UNDP for the placement of youth of merged areas in local enterprises from mines & mineral, construction, health, tourism/hospitality, agriculture and services sectors for on-the-job training free of cost as UNDP would pay monthly stipend of Rs.15000/- to each trainee. He further said that UNDP would ensure pre-security clearance of trainees.
Speaking at the occasion, Muhammad Shakeel Munir, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry appreciated the initiative of UNDP for developing accelerated skills development program for the youth of merged areas and assured that ICCI would extend all possible cooperation to make it successful. He said that it was very difficult for the youth of the merged areas to find jobs due to lack of education and required skills. Therefore, providing various skills and on-the-job training to the youth of these backward areas was so important to improve their employability, uplift their living standards and enable them to play their due role in the economic development of the region.
Jamshaid Akhtar Sheikh, Senior Vice President and Muhammad Faheem Khan, Vice President ICCI also lauded UNDP for focusing on youth development of the merged areas and hoped that many members of youth, after getting on-the-job training would get regular jobs in commercial and industrial enterprises.
Nishay Khan, Senior Associate, Innovative and Transformative Program of UNDP gave a detailed presentation on the said program to the audience at the occasion.
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