By Hamid Mahmood ISLAMABAD, October 28 (INP-WealthPK): The first Pakistan-China technical vocational institute was open at a cost of $10 million on October 1, 2021, which will create work possibilities for trained students in Gwadar Port, Free Zone Industry, and other CPEC projects. Mr. Nong Rong, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, stated in his remarks that the institute represents 70 years of friendship between Pakistan and China. The institute has been built with state-of-the-art machinery, according to the envoy, in order to provide the finest technical education and skills to the youngsters of Balochistan, particularly in Gwadar. He further stated that students will receive not only free accommodation but also scholarships during their training at the institute. Mr. Zhang Baosheng, Chairman of China Overseas Ports Holding company, said this institute is a fantastic opportunity not just for Gwadar but for the entire region, and also essential for growth. He said that providing vocational training to gifted adolescents will play a dynamic role in securing respectable jobs. In September 2020, China committed to assist Pakistan in the technical and vocational sector by opening six vocational training institutes around the country to develop skilled manpower. Because the majority of local workers are unskilled, Chinese enterprises operating in Pakistan are currently experiencing a scarcity of competent labour. Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood informed the media that under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), vocational training institutes are being established with the support of China to impart required skills to satisfy the demands of the industry. This will further deepen the friendship between the two countries. This type of vocational training centres and skill development programmes are not only necessary for CPEC projects, but also beneficial to Pakistan's youth. According to a UNDP report released in 2018, Pakistan will need to create 1.3 million new jobs per year on average by 2035, as the country's working-age population will rise from 4 million to 5 million. Pakistan has one of the world's largest young populations, with more than 60 percent of the population under the age of 30, according to the NHDR report 2020. This might be Pakistan's largest dividend if the government is able to capitalise on it. In this backdrop, the federal and provincial governments have taken several measures for youth skill development, both independently and in conjunction with China. The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), the Prime Minister's Skills for All -Hunarmand Pakistan Programme, Skill Development Council, Punjab government's Skills Development Fund (PSDF), and other similar institutes have all been established to achieve the desired results. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-21, the Pakistan Skill Development Programme (PSDP) 2020-21 has been given Rs4.5 billion for 22 ongoing and six new development projects of the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training. A total of Rs 1.2 billion has been set aside for six ongoing and new education-related development projects supported by the Ministry of Finance, Defence, Housing and Works, Kashmir Affairs, and Gilgit-Baltistan Division. The execution of PSDP-funded education initiatives can have a long-term influence on the country's socio-economic growth. Annual uptrend has been observed in the given figure. Source: Economic Survey of Pakistan According to a recent report by the CPEC Centre of Excellence, CPEC may indirectly create 1.2 million employees by 2030, if its current projects are completed. Through the NAVTTC, China gave training gear worth up to $4 million to these institutes in Pakistan in July 2020. In Pakistan, this initiative has tremendous job-creation potential, and it would have a substantial positive impact on employment, literacy, and growth. These programmes must be promoted among young people in order to encourage them to improve their talent and create employment rather than looking for it. As a result of their informal instruction, a substantial percentage of Pakistani young people lack necessary skills and proper certification. This group of employees is unable to obtain work in national and international markets as skilled workers, and they are compelled to work in the informal sector, where their rights are not guaranteed by law.