Skills development, labour market demand: ILO urges Pakistan to strengthen connection

The International Labour Organization (ILO) has called on Pakistan to link skills development with labour market requirements to navigate current market conditions. At a gathering called "Skills for a Shared Future," the event was held jointly by the ILO, the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), and the British Council. Geir Tonstol, the ILO country director, highlighted that Pakistan must build a new skills agenda to convert its youthful potential into decent work.

He underlined the need for a training system that adapts to industry, fosters innovation, and prepares young people for emerging jobs today rather than those from the past. "Geir Tonstol, Pakistan requires a training system that keeps pace with industry, supports innovation, and readies young people for today's emerging jobs, not yesterday’s.

Strengthening ties between government, industry, and development partners is crucial to ensure that skills investments lead to higher employability, greater productivity, and stronger economic growth," Tonstol emphasized. Currently, 28.4 percent of young people in Pakistan are not in employment, education, or training. With an estimated 46.3 million young people aged 15 to 24, Pakistan has 4.9 million young people who have received technical or vocational training, comprising 3 million men and 1.9 million women.

The ILO stresses the need to broaden access, particularly for women, to ensure that training leads to lasting employment. The discussion centered on practical changes to develop a more inclusive, responsive, and future-focused technical and vocational education and training system. Participants stressed the importance of better collaboration between training providers and industry, utilizing labor-market data, and aligning skills investments with sectors likely to generate productive employment.

The roundtable also advocated for increased investment in lifelong learning, enabling workers to update their skills throughout their careers as technologies and labor-market needs evolve. The Pakistan Skills Development Fund and the ILO signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation on skills development, labor-market research, institutional capacity-building, and policy dialogue.