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USAID supports the dreams of unemployed Pakistani youth by imparting vital skills trainings
Photo: Shehla Rizwan
"I can't see through my eyes but now I can communicate with the world through my voice," said Sajjid during the Vital Skills training in Karachi, Pakistan.
USAID seeks to place 100,000 Pakistani women and men in skill-specific jobs through training and placement centers. The initiative supports the government of Pakistan and strengthens its vision to enhance local workforce development systems. It will encourage Pakistani companies to invest in human capital, and improve access to trainings, jobs and business opportunities for youth (male and female).
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Sajjid, a 27 year-old young man from Sindh province who became blind at the age of five, feels more confident these days. Earlier this year, USAID launched the "Vital Skills and Knowledge" program for young unemployed graduates in Sindh Province. Sajjid attended every class, motivated by hopes of a more promising future and becoming financially independent. Through the program, he says, "the road is paved to achieve my dreams, and from now on I will never be shy."
The Vital Skills and Knowledge program provides technical skills training to enable hundreds of previously unemployed young graduates to find private sector jobs in demand. Sajjid, who has suffered from isolation and depression stemming from his visual disability, credits the training not only with providing him a job but also a place in the community. One of the leading telecom companies in Pakistan recently hired him as a call center operator with a handsome salary package.
The objective of USAID's professional development and training program is to increase the professionalism of applicants for customer service positions through various trainings in managing customer calls and essential communications and sales. The trainings begin by introducing the importance of a positive attitude and teamwork, an approach that emphasizes that attitude not your aptitude determines your altitude.
Vital skills trainings have been initiated in four major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Quetta under the USAID Pakistan JOBS project. Rigorous trainings are held in key areas with high potential for employment including communications, pharmaceutical, telecommunications and construction. Courses are designed specifically to address the needs of unemployed youth and to prepare talented young Pakistani's with the skills demanded by the job market.
Training programs to educate students also include job-hunting, CV writing, job interviewing, and interpersonal skills. Vital Skills trainings have trained 750 persons, of which 337 have been placed in gainful employment so far. "We are glad to see that students from remote colleges [such as those in interior Sindh] are getting the right exposure to employment opportunities and we believe that with enhanced skills, these students will enter the job market competitively," said Arshad Akif, a training coordinator from Karachi.
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