“We are going to train youth in the latest demand-driven IT courses in fields like cloud computing, cyber security, data analytics, graphic designing, artificial intelligence, machine learning and game development in order to multiply their employability,” said Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif in her address at Government Technology College for Women, where she reached to formally launch the 1st Chief Minister Skills Development Programme in Punjab. She inaugurated the project digitally along with the students. 

Madam Chief Minister said,”Under the project, 4000 youth will be trained in 35 TEVTA institutes in different cities.” She added,”The Punjab government will provide training in international standard advanced IT courses to 4000 students every year. God willing, the number will be raised from 4000 to 40,000 gradually.” She highlighted,”TEVTA free training in advanced courses is the right of youth, which was denied to them in the past unfortunately.”

Madam Chief Minister lamented,”When I took the first meeting of TEVTA, I felt very sad that we are still running outdated and obsolete courses and curriculum.” I directed TEVTA to carry out restructuring on modern lines, and immediately adopt curricula according to the market demand, so that the youth get jobs even before they graduate. She added,”Students who complete the course will get certification from international organizations like Microsoft, Adobe, Cisco and Unity.” Madam Chief Minister highlighted,”People will follow the students for jobs when the courses are done according to the job market.” She said,”For advanced courses, experts and faculty need to be hired from outside or from the private sector.” Madam Chief Minister said,”They are also considering providing laptops to the students who complete the courses.”

Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said,”We are starting the country's first IT city in Lahore, which will be launched within a year.” She added,”Tech giants of the world are ready to join the IT City project.”

Madam Chief Minister highlighted,”People just make claims and after five years they have nothing to show.” She added,”Thanks God we did the launch later but 1000 kids have already completed the training.” She noted,”PML-N has never given sticks, slingshots and petrol bombs in the hands of children.”

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said,”In the first meeting of Law and Order, I asked DIG Operations what happened to his eye? He replied that he lost his eye in the incidents of May 9.” She added,”When I went to Jinnah House on May 9, my heart was crying. We turned the memorial of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah into a pile of ashes.”

Madam Chief Minister said,” PML-N has given laptops and scholarships to youth instead. We have built Danish Schools and state-of-the-art universities. We are also starting a skill development program now.”

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif said,”In Bahawalpur, a child's wish for a bicycle to go to school was immediately fulfilled. 

If a child gets a bicycle, he goes to school, not in front of girls' college.” She added,”Those who want to go in front of Girls' College do not need a motorcycle.” She highlighted,”Boys don't need a government bike either for one-wheeling.”

Madam Chief Minister advised the youth,”Don't be one-wheeling young people, take care of your parents, they have raised you with love.” She said,”These are just excuses to prevent public welfare projects.” She recalled,”When they stopped the Orange Line project, how much loss did it cause to the nation?” Madam Chief Minister noted,”Millions of people travel daily on metro bus and metro trains.”

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met the students in the ceremony. She loved and appreciated them. She also visited the lab and display center of the college and interacted with the students there. She announced to restructure the lab and make it a robotic lab.

Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif appreciated the handicrafts, paintings, and ceramic work at the display centre. A student presented her a handmade painting. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif stopped the car and took a selfie after seeing a student standing on her way back.

Earlier, Madam Chief was given a briefing about the institution established in 1909. She also had a briefing on technical education and training in the college. Provincial Minister for Industries Chaudhry Shafey Hussain highlighted the purpose and scope of the project. He said,”TEVTA’s skilled workers are in demand in Japan, Greece and other industries.”

Madam Chief Minister congratulated Chairman TEVTA and his team for starting this program just in a month. She was briefed,”A thousand children were selected for the program, out of which 400 are girls.”

Madam Chief Minister said,”I am happy that a large number of girls have come to the skill development program.” She added,”The number of girls should go above 50%.”

Students from 15 TEVTA institutions participated in the event, while students from 20 other TEVTA institutes participated through video link.

Senator Pervaiz Rashid, Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Provincial Ministers Azma Zahid Bukhari, Rana Sikandar Hayat, Bilal Akbar, MPA Sania Ashiq and Mian Marghob attended the ceremony. Chief Secretary, Secretaries, and other relevant officers were also present.