PMYP to establish dedicated office at ICCI to connect youth with private sector

ISLAMABAD, Oct 02 (APP): The Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) will establish a dedicated PMYP office at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) to strengthen government–private sector–youth linkages and facilitate ICCI members and young people through the Digital Youth Hub (DYH), PMYP’s online portal.

The initiative is aiming at connecting youth with employment, internships, training, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.

The dedicated office will serve as a coordination and facilitation point between PMYP and the business community, encouraging ICCI member companies to register on DYH and post-employment opportunities, internships, training programmes, mentorship and other opportunities for young people, while enabling youth to gain direct access to private-sector opportunities and industry networks.

The initiative is also aimed at creating a stronger talent pipeline for businesses, helping companies identify skilled and promising young professionals, reducing the gap between industry requirements and youth skills, and providing young people with greater exposure to employers, practical workplace experience, career development and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Chairman PMYP Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, accompanied by Advisor to Prime Minister on Tourism, Sardar Yassir Ilyas Khan, during his visit to ICCI on Friday said the collaboration would provide a practical bridge between Pakistan’s business community and its young workforce and help transform youth from job seekers into job creators.

He congratulated the newly elected ICCI President Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, Senior Vice President Mohammad Ashfaq Hussain Chatha, Vice President Mohammad Waqas Khan and Executive Committee members Mohammad Israr Mishwani, Mohammad Nauman and Rana Istikhar Ali Khan.

He said Rs 262.5 billion in financing was being made available under the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Programme for startups, young entrepreneurs and the agriculture sector, and urged chambers of commerce to establish facilitation mechanisms to guide young applicants in preparing business plans, completing loan applications and meeting other requirements.

He particularly emphasized increasing women’s participation in youth financing, with the government aiming to raise their share in total lending from around 11–12 percent to at least 25 percent, and called upon the business community to support greater opportunities for young women in employment, entrepreneurship, training and business development.

Rana Mashhood also highlighted the importance of equal access to quality education through initiatives including the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund, Danish Schools, Pakistan Danish Authority and the proposed Danish University, and appealed to the business community to support the “Friends of Danish” initiative by adopting or supporting the education of deserving children.

ICCI President, Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia welcomed the initiative and assured the Chamber’s full cooperation in strengthening youth empowerment, employment and entrepreneurship, saying ICCI members would be encouraged to actively participate in creating opportunities for the country’s young workforce.

The collaboration between PMYP and ICCI is expected to create a stronger ecosystem in which businesses can access young talent while youth can access employment, internships, industry-led training, mentorship, networking, entrepreneurship support and other economic opportunities through the combined outreach of ICCI and the Digital Youth Hub.

Vice President Mohammad Waqas Khan and Executive Committee member Ms. Saddaf Asim Abbasi also shared their views on youth development and the role of the Chamber.

Earlier, Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan offered Fateha for the departed soul of the mother of ICCI Vice President Mohammad Waqas Khan.