ISLAMABAD, Mar 02 (APP):More than 300 students completed specialized training under the Prime Minister’s Overseas Employment Programme of the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), with a visa issuance ceremony held in Islamabad on Monday.
Addressing the ceremony as chief guest, Chairman Prime Minister’s Youth Programme, Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, called on overseas employment promoters to actively support the programme and work closely with the government to expand overseas job opportunities for Pakistani youth.
Calling the trainees as ambassadors of the country, he said their performance abroad would boast confidence among Pakistani manpower and play a key role to promote Pakistan’s positive image globally.
“With discipline, skill and professionalism, you will not only secure your own future but also brighten Pakistan’s name,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Executive Director NAVTTC, Aamir Jan said the programme aimed on securing job placement of Pakistani youth in international market with handsome wages through specialized overseas focused training initiative.
This is the second batch being sent abroad, comprising more than 300 skilled individuals while future programmes would be even more refined and aligned with market demand, he added.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by Pakistani labour abroad, noting that overseas workers continue to serve as a backbone of the national economy through remittances.
In her address, Chairperson NAVTTC, Gulmina Bilal said NAVTTC had undergone a fundamental transformation in recent years.
“There was a time when NAVTTC’s role was limited to regulation and training alone. That era is over,” she said, adding that the true measure of success now lay in whether training translated into employment.
She emphasized that NAVTTC’s core mandate was to produce skilled, ‘plug-and-play’ youth who could be immediately placed against international job demand.
She urged participants to ensure that their skills, attitude and conduct would reflect Pakistan’s culture, traditions and values. “Your behaviour will determine future demand for Pakistani workers”, she remarked.
She informed that the Prime Minister had set a target of sending 10,000 Pakistani youth abroad for employment, noting that NAVTTC had already initiated training for 5,000 candidates under the programme.
Acknowledging initial gaps due to the novelty of the initiative, she said regular monitoring and third-party evaluations
were carried out to maintain training quality.
Policymakers, training officials and graduating students also attended the ceremony.