Modernize the workforce

Skilled labour plays an important role in the devolvement of any country. An educated and skilled workforce increases productivity and attract both domestic and foreign investments.

Foreign investors usually look for countries with cheap and disciplined skilled labour. China, Vietnam and India are prime examples of this investment trend.

Unfortunately, Pakistan lacks educated and skilled labour in many sectors of the economy. Both the public and private sectors lack the level of skills required for a modern digital economy and the services sector. Pakistan needs to launch a national training, skills, business and innovation development programme on an emergency basis to fully utilise its youth bulge, which is a blessing if provided with necessary education, training, skills and economic opportunities.

The failure to provide jobs and economic opportunities to young people to excel turns this blessing into a curse. Pakistan has huge potential as its 70 per cent population consists of young people. And the country can become an economic powerhouse if it develops its young people into an educated, innovative and disciplined workforce.

We are failing on this front. Our decision- and policymakers are not taking this issue seriously. They are not making any efforts to modernize and transform the education system, and their focus is not on skill development. Pakistan needs an education system which can provide both education and skills to school and college students. Instead of offering only formal traditional education at the secondary level, it is better to teach skills that can help students become more productive.

Pakistan has nearly 75-million labour force, and a majority consists of unskilled labour. But our economy is not producing enough jobs to provide decent jobs with liveable wages to all new entrants in the market.

Even most of the skilled labour learns different skills through informal ways and means. We can see young children and boys working in workshops, restaurants, shops and other workplaces, learning different skills at a tender age to make a living.

Pakistan needs technical centres to teach basic skills and trainings to the underprivileged youth to either start their small businesses or become self-employed. We can utilize the existing high schools for setting up skill and training centres. We need to fuse our formal education with skill development to produce skilled labour.

We need to adapt to the new realities of job market. The public sector has shrunk significantly in the last three decades, dismantled by various privatization and deregulation policies.

The public sector used to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people with FA and BA qualifications annually. But such jobs are no more available. More than one million permanent jobs with minimum skill requirements have been abolished so far. We are still producing graduates who do not have modern skills to survive in a competitive job market.

There are many factors that contribute to the lack of skilled labour in Pakistan. These include lack of investment in education and training, a lack of access to quality education and training, lack of incentives for employers to invest in training, and lack of knowledge and awareness about the importance of skills development.

Also, there is a lack of government support for vocational and technical training and a lack of coordination between the relevant government departments. Finally, there is a lack of access to finance for businesses that want to invest in training and development.

The education system in Pakistan needs to be improved to produce skilled labour. It should be reformed to make it more efficient and effective. Quality education should be provided to students so that they can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge.

Pakistan has the potential to make use of its youth bulge to enhance productivity and innovation by increasing access to education. This could be done by investing in public education and providing more scholarships and other forms of financial aid to students. This will enable more young people to gain the skills and knowledge required to be productive and innovative.

Technical training programmes should be offered to students to equip them with necessary skills. This will enable them to increase their employability and gain access to better job opportunities.

Apprenticeships should be promoted to create more employment opportunities for skilled labour. This will help bridge the gap between the demand and supply of skilled labour.

Investment in technology should be increased to create a conducive environment for production of skilled labour. This will help create more job opportunities and boost the economy.

There should be more training opportunities provided to students and workers, and will help increase their employability and make them more competitive in the job market. Infrastructure in Pakistan should be improved to facilitate the production of skilled labour. This will help create more job opportunities and improve the quality of life of citizens.

The Pakistan government should also create programmes to help young people develop their entrepreneurial skills. One way to do so is by providing grants and other forms of financial assistance to help young people start their businesses. This will not only create employment opportunities but also provide a platform for innovation and productivity.

The government should also invest in technology and encourage young people to use it for productive purposes.

This could involve providing access to computers, the internet, and other forms of technology. This will enable young people to innovate and become more productive.

The government should also invest in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, and other public services, and create an environment that encourages innovation. This could involve providing tax incentives to startups, and creating an environment that encourages risk-taking and creativity.

The writer is a freelance journalist.