Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif Sets Target to Train One Million Youth

What Happened

During a special meeting in Lahore on Sunday, November 1, 2026, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced a target to equip one million young people with professional and technical skills over the next three years [1, 2, 3]. The Chief Minister reviewed ongoing skill development projects and directed departments to expand programmes to meet market demands [2, 3].

Several new initiatives and centres were approved during the meeting:

• The establishment of Punjab’s first modern Woodworking Centre of Excellence [1, 3].
• The creation of Centres of Excellence for electrical work, vehicle technology, and digital marketing [1, 3].
• The launch of the CM Language Learning Programme, which will offer courses in 13 languages for the first time in the province [1, 3].
• The establishment of the province’s first Cleaning and Cleaner Academy (Punjab Cleaning and Care Academy) to provide training in healthcare, hospitality, domestic assistance, and cleaning support [1, 3].
• The launch of agriculture-related training and a Heavy Machinery Operator Certification Programme [1, 2, 3].
• A proposed modern digital examination system featuring online registration, digital papers, and QR codes, with a capacity for 200,000 to 600,000 candidates [3].

Specific training programmes mentioned include:

• The Mahir programme: training 25,000 youth in industrial clusters in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Multan [3].
• The Global Rozgar programme: training 25,000 youth for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector [3].
• The Advance Tech programme: providing international certifications in modern technologies to 7,500 youth [3].
• The Rs2.6 billion Hariyali programme: training 20,000 youth in agriculture and green environment-related fields [3].

Existing data provided during the briefing showed that 400,000 young people have already completed skill training in Punjab, with over 45 per cent securing employment [1, 3]. Under the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department, nearly 175,000 trained youth secured employment, including more than 38,000 who found jobs abroad [1, 3].

Sector-wise training and employment figures reported include:

• Manufacturing: 113,333 trained, with over 50,000 securing immediate employment [1, 3].
• IT sector: 111,607 trained, with 49,588 earning through employment [1, 3].
• Agriculture and livestock: 23,269 trained, with 10,033 securing jobs [1, 3].
• Construction: 27,069 trained, with 12,026 finding employment [1, 3].
• Energy sector: 35,227 trained, with 15,651 securing jobs [1, 3].
• Hospitality and tourism: 15,319 trained, with 6,807 securing immediate employment [1, 3].

Who Is Affected

• One million young people in Punjab are targeted for skill training over the next three years [1, 2, 3].
• 25,000 youth in Lahore, Faisalabad, Sialkot, Gujranwala, and Multan under the Mahir programme [3].
• 25,000 youth for the BPO sector via the Global Rozgar programme [3].
• 7,500 youth via the Advance Tech programme [3].
• 20,000 youth via the Rs2.6 billion Hariyali programme [3].