Pakistan and China have launched a series of joint projects and cooperation agreements aimed at advancing vocational education and skills training for youth, officials said following a seminar held this week in Beijing. The initiatives, signed at the “Seminar on International Cooperation and Exchange: Integration of Industry and Education in Vocational Education between China and Pakistan,” seek to more closely align technical education with industry needs to improve employment prospects and workforce capabilities.
During the event, both sides signed 21 cooperation items and unveiled five vocational education platforms covering professional standards, shared teaching resources, faculty and curriculum development, and enterprise-linked training bases. The agreements span multiple disciplines, including Culinary Arts & Nutrition, Fashion and Costume Design, Food Inspection and Testing, Supply Chain Operation, Fine Chemical Technology, Modern Agriculture Production, and Information Security Technology Applications.
As part of the joint initiatives, workshops and training programmes will be established in priority sectors, such as a Saishang culinary workshop, an Automotive Overseas Workshop for New Energy Vehicle Technology involving Chinese and Pakistani partners, and other schemes with training organisations. Pakistani authorities, including the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and provincial technical education bodies, also participated in the agreements.
Officials emphasised that vocational training is crucial for equipping Pakistan’s large youthful population with job-oriented skills and improving competitiveness in both domestic and international labour markets, while boosting remittance-related employment opportunities.