It is an encouraging sign that unemployment rate in Pakistan has gone slightly down from 6.30 per cent to 6 per cent in the second quarter of 2013-14, but the percentage of unskilled labour among the unemployed workers remains alarmingly high.

Statistics collected from across the industrial web show that out of 59 million potential workforce, 56.5 million is employed while 3.5 million (6 per cent) are unemployed. Over 90 per cent of the unemployed labour consists of unskilled people and most of the rest whereas remaining 10 per cent are those who are educated but without having any skill.

The $1.2 billion industry of Sialkot having worth of $1.2 billion, including garments, leather garments, gloves, sports and surgical instruments are running below capacity by at least 30 per cent partly due to energy issue and mainly reasondue to crucial shortage of skilled as well as semi-skilled workforce. On each and every corner, we can see the banners demanding professionals in Sialkot as well as in Faisalabad. There is no un-employment of skilled persons in Sialkot, Faisalabad and Lahore. There are 10,000 stitch masters in Sialkot and at least 5,000 or more can be absorbed in the present situation.

Though figures vary every year, around 0.5 million Pakistanis go abroad every year to earn their livelihood and 90 per cent among them travel on labour visas. According to Overseas Pakistani Foundation (OPF) website, more than 2.7 million citizens went abroad for employment opportunities over the last five years (2008-2013). The number of migration was highest in 2012 when 638,587 people went to different countries for employment. Almost 5,873,539 Pakistanis emigrated from 1981 to 2012. The net average rate of skilled labour migration is is none counin tryin is 415 people.

The top six destinations for Pakistani workers,; as per OPF data, are Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA, UK, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) and EU countries, with Saudi Arabia topping in the list. Last year (In 2013), around 18,364 people went moved to Saudi Arabia and Pakistanis there sent home $4.105 billion were received in Pakistan as Fforeign Rremittances between July, 2012 and June, 2013. Malaysia and South Africa have also become favouritefavourite destinations of Pakistanis for jobs in recent years.

As per statistics, our industry presently requires around one million skilled workers whereas only 100,000 skilled people are available in the market, though some experts believe that excess availability of skilled labourmay see a big increase would be seen in a couple of years as several new  many government and private training institutes have started to imparting technical training in various disciplines to thousands of youth.

This is suggests suggested that unemployment issue could be addressed to a large extent by just imparting skilled technical education to the youth. "No skilled person has been found to be unemployed, particularly in big cities of the country," claimed FPCCI former Former regional Regional chairman Chairman, Sheikh Abdul Waheed Sandal.

Sandal said that textile, engineering, plastic, leather, services and almost all other sectors of economy are facing shortage of skilled professionals though unskilled labour force is available everywhere. "There is huge mismatch in market requirement and production of educational institutions," he said, adding adding that different industries mostly employ unskilled or semi-skilled people and provide them on-job training.

In Punjab, Punjab Small Industries Corporation (PSIC), Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) and Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) are producing around 100,000 skilled professionals a year and most of them whom get jobs in their respective trades. At federal level, National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) has a capacity to produces 50,000 skilled labour per year. Moreover, other private technical training institutes with the duly sponsored of by Germany and USA almost are producing about 17,000 skilled people every year.

Punjab Small Industries Corporation PSIC has already started public awareness campaign publically to enhance the interest of youth into Skill skill Development development training and also providing the training facilities of in Handicrafts handicrafts and Designs designs in almost every region of throughout Punjab. It is the goal of thePSIC is ’s Managementconvincedenvisages that if the government could fill the gap through diverting at least 0.9 million unskilled /unemployed workforce out of 3.5 million --; who are 6 per cent of 59 million potential workforce of Pakistan --, into skilled workforce, it will increase empowerment  employment generation, foreign & and local revenue, foreign investment and reduce unemployment from the province and the country.