ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The federal government is going to announce 15,000 more internships for the newly graduated Pakistani youth under Prime Minister National Internship Programme (NIP) on October 08.
Taking to the state-run news agency, the Director General of the NIP Hidayatullah Khan said that in 2016, the government had announced 150,000 internships to be given in three phases out of which, 84,000 students had already benefited from this facility.
The NIP director general said that during second phase, under the National Finance Commission (NFC) award formula, 25,000 internships to the newly graduate youth will be given to Punjab, 5,750 to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 11,500 internships to Sindh, and 3,000 internships to the youth from Balochistan while 6,750 internships will be given collectively to Federal Capital Territory, Gilgit Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
Hidayatullah Khan informed that the students of Wafaqul Madaris who hold degrees equivalent to graduation would also be eligible for the internship programme.
The director general said the government was committed to accommodate maximum students under the umbrella of NIP to check unemployment in the country. He said that since no quota was set on gender basis, therefore female students are especially encouraged to apply for internship.
Hidayatullah said more than 60 percent of the country’s population consists of youth and most of them are unemployed. He hoped that with the announcement of more internships, the unemployment ratio in the country would be reduced considerably.
“Prime minister Youth Internship Programme aims to channelize and streamline the energies of Pakistani youth population and realize their immense economic potential,” Hidayatullah said.
The NIP director general said the government was committed to control the growing unemployment in the country by launching such programmes for youth to overcome frustration, and dissatisfaction among the educated but unemployed youth.
Hidayatullah Khan maintained the government was providing young people with skills training and empowering them financially as the government was paying Rs 12,000 per month to every internee.
Moreover, he said National Internship Programme is designed to provide basis for youth training and development as well as experimental training to integrate knowledge and theory learnt in the class rooms. He said the training gave young fresh graduates an opportunity to gain a valuable practical experience to utilize it in the professional field.
The director general said under the internship programme, the government was providing an opportunity to students to serve both public as well as in the private sector organizations.