ISLAMABAD – In efforts to empower youth and boost the entrepreneurialecosystem of the country, Prime Minister Youth Affairs Programme (PMYAP) isgoing to launch “PM’s Startup Pakistan” programme, according tostate-owned *APPlink*.
*APP* citing sources of govt’s officials familiar with the youth programme,reported that the programme is aimed at engaging youth in Entrepreneurshipand Innovation Eco System culture. Govt will focus on developing nationalstartup ecosystem for enhancing entrepreneurial activity in youth bypromoting conventional and technical startups at universities/technologyinstitutes through this programme, a govt official told *APP.*
For the uninitiated, Prime Minister Youth Programme announced tolaunch “Startup Pakistan Programme” for the youth back in March. At thattime, the officials working for its foundations said that the programmewill not only provide technical and vocational training to the students inboth high-tech and demand-driven trades but will also ensure to increasethe employment after the training ends.
Later on, PMYP confirmed steering committee members of the program. Anotification was issued by the Prime Minister’s office whereby SpecialAssistant to PM on Youth Affairs, Muhammad Usman Dar was appointed as theChairman of Startup Pakistan Program. He is supposed to lead a team of 13members including one secretary — Omar J Ghani, who is a startup fundingexpert.
An official closely working with the team of Startup Pakistan programtold *RadioPakistanlink*thatSmall and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) will find thetopmost business ventures in the local and international market for theStartup Pakistan programme.
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Meanwhile, the official also said that the government is planning to enrollat-least one million students in different technical institutes,universities and Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority’s(TEVTA) training centers to equip them with ICT skills.
In addition, he also disclosed that the students will be adjusted invarious government sectors for internships, including Naya Pakistan HousingProject, Pakistan Tourism Board, and Ministry of Postal Services.
It is worth mentioning here that the incumbent government is applyingefforts to export human resources to other countries. And these effortshave yielded positive results so far. As countries like Japan, Romania,Germany, and Qatar have started taking interest in importing skilled-laborfrom Pakistan.
