Punjab government celebrated ‘World’s Youth Skill Day’ on Monday. The main purpose is to bring the transformative power of technical and vocational education in building inclusive economies and also resilient societies. The Punjab government has focused on it by allocating Rs26 billion in fiscal year 2025-26.

As government follow’s the foot steps of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, they have placed skills at the heart of economic agenda. Under the CM’s instructions the land mark programmes are allocated for skills development and entrepreneurship for the fiscal year 2025-26.

For the first time has combined all TVET policy under single Skills development and Entrepreneurship Department (SDED).

In this strategy to enhance workforce development, the Punjab government is integrating the 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) under a unified strategic framework.

This initiative aims to ensure that all efforts are closely aligned with the demands of the labor market.

Punjab government has successfully trained 600,000 graduates, with 44 percent being women, across 250 trades. Current flagship programs include PSDF: Tabeer, which allocates Rs2.7 billion for international job placements for over 2,500 individuals; PSDF Mein Digital, aimed at empowering 3,000 educated rural women through IT with a budget of Rs1 billion; and PSDF - Pehchan, a skill development initiative for 2,250 marginalized transgender individuals, supported by Rs870 million.

Each of these programs is designed to tap into new talent segments and connect them with high-value employment opportunities, both locally and internationally.