LAHORE - With the aim of improving income generation opportunities for the poor and vulnerable populations across the Punjab by enabling quality skills development through promotion of a competitive skills training market, Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) has launched its new scheme, Skills for Punjab Growth Strategy 2015, to fund training of more than 5,000 individuals in various employment-oriented trades.
This scheme will be implemented with funding from the World Bank. By leveraging the services of 51 selected training service providers (TSPs), it would target individuals belonging to all 36 districts of the Punjab, in order to equip them with various need-based skills.
The scheme will officially begin on 1st January 2016 and trainings will be imparted by the Industry and various educational institutions. Both females and males aged 18 years and above are eligible to apply for this scheme. In addition, with extended funding from the UK’s Department for International Development, more than 8,500 individuals would be provided trainings in the previously selected 14 districts of the Punjab. Contracts worth 529 million were awarded to a total of 85 TSPs for these schemes in a ceremony here.
While addressing the media, COO PSDF, Ali Akbar Bosan said that PSDF successfully trained more than 111,000 individuals since its inception, out of which 44% are females and 56% males. This scheme is another one of PSDF’s major training schemes, under which individuals will be imparted technical and vocational skills that are demanded by local industry.