ISLAMABAD - National Highway Authority (NHA) has received around 4,600 applications for its paid internships, which are going to be formally announced on Friday.
According to sources, the paid internships for three months would be awarded to a total of 2,429 students on first come first serve basis and the selected students, according to their qualification, are destined to receive Rs.20,000 and Rs.10,000 as monthly stipend.
A ceremony in this regard is going to be held on Friday in which the Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed will announce the names of successful candidates and also highlight the important features of the program.
Source informed that earlier young professional degree holders were attached with different contractors but the whole process was marred by pick and choose basis adopted for the selections.
Nepotism shown by the road authority higher-ups had been witnessed, the sources said and added that the federal minister for this time has announced to pay special attention to maintain transparency in the programme from its beginning till end.
The selected applicants will be deputed on different projects of NHA and its office across the country according to their subject and respective area.
They will also receive a certificate from the authority upon successfully completing their internship programme.
However, according to relevant officers of NHA, there is no policy for their direct induction in the authority.
But they can join the authority after open competition when required, the officers said.
The officers were of the view that the internees would get experience that would help them to secure a job in private as well as government sector.
The applications for said paid internship program were sought by the road authority during last month and the last date for submitting applications expired on 18th January 2020.
The internship was offered to those students who have already completed their degree or diploma program in selected fields from public and private sector universities.
Students of civil, environmental, geo technical and mineral sciences were asked to submit application in addition to the diploma holders in the fields of quantity survey, civil, auto CAD and lab technology.
Earlier, the federal government had also announced a National Internship Programme on similar lines to enroll fresh graduates in different jobs to provide them experience.