PM directs Pakistani embassies to expand overseas job opportunities for youth

ISLAMABAD:  Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed Pakistani embassies to accelerate efforts to identify overseas employment opportunities for young Pakistanis as part of the government’s strategy to boost skilled workforce exports.

Chairing a meeting to review youth employment initiatives, the prime minister instructed overseas missions to intensify engagement with foreign employers and labor markets to help create more job opportunities for Pakistani workers.

Sharif also ordered the complete digitization of the Protectorate of Emigration system and directed the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission and the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme to ensure the provision of internationally recognized vocational skills and language training programs with certification.

The prime minister said Pakistan’s workforce is highly capable and emphasized that the government is working to improve access to internationally recognized education, training and employment opportunities.

He instructed Pakistani embassies to strengthen mechanisms for sharing information on overseas job openings and labor market requirements, while urging relevant institutions to enhance cooperation with foreign countries to align Pakistani certifications with international standards.

Officials told the meeting that more than 800,000 young people have registered on the government’s Digital Youth Hub platform. They said training programs are underway to prepare Pakistanis for overseas employment and that embassies will upload information on available jobs and required qualifications to the portal.