On World Youth Skills Day, the Government of Punjab has reaffirmed its commitment to building an inclusive and economically resilient society through large-scale investments in technical and vocational education. In the fiscal year 2025–26, Punjab has allocated Rs. 26 billion to support skill development and entrepreneurship under the CM Skilled Punjab initiative. This major allocation places skill-building at the core of the province’s economic priorities and reflects a systemic overhaul to unify fragmented technical and vocational training efforts.
For the first time, Punjab has established a centralised Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department (SDED) to house all key public sector organisations responsible for technical and vocational education. This department brings together Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC), Punjab Skills Development Authority (PSDA), and Punjab Board of Technical Education (PBTE), enabling policy alignment, unified funding, and streamlined execution to match labour market needs.
PSDF, Pakistan’s largest skills fund and a central delivery partner of CM Skilled Punjab, has played a pivotal role in employer-driven training models. Over 15 years, PSDF has produced more than 600,000 graduates, 44 percent of whom are women, across 250 vocational and technical trades. It is now scaling targeted interventions to serve new and underrepresented talent segments through flagship programs aimed at both local impact and international opportunities.
Key initiatives include PSDF | Tabeer, a Rs. 2.7 billion program supporting the international placement of over 2,500 skilled workers; PSDF | Mein Digital, a Rs. 1 billion project designed to equip 3,000 educated rural women with digital skills; and PSDF | Pehchan, a Rs. 870 million skill development initiative focused on training and integrating 2,250 transgender individuals into high-value job sectors. These programs not only aim to unlock human potential but also contribute to boosting remittances and reducing unemployment.
Chairperson of the CM Punjab Task Force for Skills Development, Adnan Afzal Chattha, emphasized that Punjab’s youth represent the province’s strongest immediate asset. By linking world-class training with globally accepted certifications and foreign employment routes, Punjab is actively working to transform human potential into tangible economic gains for families and the country alike. He noted that for the first time, all policy, regulatory, and operational components of the skills ecosystem are being managed under one umbrella to drive clarity, efficiency, and job-ready outcomes.
With over 3,000 technical and vocational institutes currently serving about 455,000 students across Pakistan, there remains a wide gap when compared to the 1.7 million annual entrants into the labor force. This reality underscores the need for high-impact, scalable, and outcome-focused programs like those led by PSDF. Punjab’s comprehensive approach aims to set a precedent for workforce development through unified governance and targeted investments that support economic empowerment and global competitiveness.
