Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has set a target of providing skills training to one million young people over the next three years. Chairing a special meeting on Sunday, 1 November 2026, the chief minister reviewed ongoing skill development projects, received a detailed briefing on training initiatives and employment outcomes, and approved a series of new initiatives to expand technical and vocational training across the province.
According to the official briefing, 400,000 young people in Punjab have already completed skills training, with more than 45 per cent securing employment, while many others opted to continue their education. The new three-year target builds on that progress, with new centres of excellence, new certification programmes and courses in 13 languages.
What Was Approved at the 1 November Meeting
Woodworking Centre of Excellence: Punjab’s first modern Woodworking Centre of Excellence will be established.
More centres of excellence: Specialised centres of excellence for electrical work, vehicle technology and digital marketing were also approved.
Agriculture and heavy machinery: Certification programmes for agriculture and heavy machinery operators were approved.
13-language programme: The Chief Minister’s Language Learning Programme will offer courses in 13 languages for the first time in Punjab.
Cleaning and Cleaner Academy: Punjab’s first Cleaning and Cleaner Academy will provide professional training in healthcare, hospitality and domestic services under the Punjab Central Cleaning Authority.
Digital examination system: A modern digital examination system with online registration, digital papers and QR codes was directed, with capacity for 200,000 to 600,000 candidates.
TEVTA expansion: 69 institutions of the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) will train 45,700 young people annually in line with the European Qualifications Framework.
Progress So Far: Sector-Wise Training and Employment
Sector
Trained
Employed / Earning
Manufacturing
113,333
More than 50,000
Information Technology
111,607
49,588
Agriculture and Livestock
23,269
10,033
Construction
27,069
12,026
Energy
35,227
15,651
Hospitality and Tourism
15,319
6,807
Where the Trained Youth Are Now
Local industry jobs: 90,029 trained youths secured jobs in local industries.
Self-employment: 53,509 opted for self-employment.
Jobs abroad: 38,557 obtained employment abroad, including more than 38,000 reported earlier in the briefing.
Further education: 39,325 chose to continue their education.
Women earning from home: Under the Empowering Women through Information Technology Programme, 3,000 women in rural areas are earning from home after completing training.
Teachers and staff: 15,065 teachers and staff members received industry-related, management, teaching and skills-upgradation training.
WorldSkills recognition: A trainee electrician from a Punjab technical college secured fourth position in the WorldSkills competition in Shanghai.
Conclusion
The one-million-youth skills target is Punjab’s biggest technical training push so far: 400,000 young people are already trained, nearly 175,000 have secured decent employment through the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, and the newly approved centres, 13-language courses and digital examination system are meant to carry that momentum to one million over the next three years. Young people interested in these programmes should watch for the official admission announcements of the relevant centres and TEVTA institutions as the new initiatives roll out.
FAQs
What is Punjab’s new skills training target? Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has set a target of providing skills training to one million young people in Punjab over the next three years.
When was the target announced? At a special meeting chaired by the chief minister on Sunday, 1 November 2026, where new centres and programmes were also approved.
Which new centres were approved? Punjab’s first modern Woodworking Centre of Excellence, plus centres of excellence for electrical work, vehicle technology and digital marketing, and the province’s first Cleaning and Cleaner Academy.
How many youth have already been trained? 400,000 young people have completed skills training in Punjab, with more than 45 per cent securing employment.
What is the 13-language programme? The Chief Minister’s Language Learning Programme, under which courses in 13 languages will be offered for the first time in Punjab.
Shahzad Sahil is the editor of lahorejobs24.com, covering government jobs, private jobs, bank jobs, results and education news for Lahore and Punjab, with information verified from official sources.
