PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The unemployment rate in worldwide including Pakistan has gone high during and after COVID-19. The percentage of unskilled labour among the unemployed remains alarmingly high. According to the statistical reports, over 90 per cent of the unemployed labour consists of unskilled people and most of the rest 10 per cent are those who are educated but without any skill. This suggests that unemployment issue could be addressed to a large extent by just imparting skilled education to the youth. Evidence also suggests that investment in skills development leads to higher productivity and the lack of skills can be a barrier to growth. The Parkari Community Development Programme (PCDP) as a community-based organization considers relieving poverty among the Parkari people who are one of the poorest and most marginalized communities located in the rural of lower Sindh region of Pakistan. The large majority of Parkari people live in poverty and lack sufficient opportunities to get themselves fully skilled. They do not have a proper or regular source of income except from what they earn as farmers. There is a strong need for vocational skills to increase their existing income. It is also clear that only education is not enough to strengthen the financial situation of the family therefore in order to strengthen the family and community, vocational skills are as important as education. The main purpose of this project is;
“Provision of access to market-driven training and employment opportunities to 35 youth (20 Boys and 15 Girls) from rural villages of district Mirpurkhas, Sindh.”
The project is designed to organize motorbike repairing course for 20 boys and sewing/tailoring skills training course for 15 girls. The project will be implemented in close collaboration with government departments and other relevant institutions. The importance of this project reflects the following Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. SDG 8: Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all.
THE GENERAL STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES TO BE ACHIEVED:
◼️ To empower the Parkari youth through vocational skills training and maximizing opportunities for income generating platforms.
◼️ To organize motorbike repairing course for 20 youth (Boys) and provide training certificate along with a motorbike repairing tool kit to initiate the business
◼️ To provide tailoring/sewing skills training to 15 youth (girls) and distribute sewing machine with a training certificate.
Motorbike Repairing Course
The majority of the youth living in the rural areas is illiterate or do not receive higher secondary education which remained them stay without any hope to think of a better future. Due to lack of education with no skill the youth face several challenges in term of economic vulnerability. However, many of them are very interested in skill-based training but unfortunately do not have access to any vocational skills training opportunities. PCDP’s “Poverty Reduction through Vocational Training (PRVT)” is a light for many hopeless and desperate youth living in the rural area. PCDP successfully completed a three months motorbike repairing course for the 20 boys. The identification and selection of these boys was done on the basis of selection criteria as well as the level of interest and commitment was also considered as a main requirement for the course. To provide a professional learning environment, PCDP established 01 training location with the provision of tools and spare parts needed for the motorbike repairing course. The training course was design within the duration of 03 months which was successfully completed by 20 rural boys who were enthusiastically learned the skill. PCDP has organized the graduation ceremony for these boys and distributed 20 motorbike repairing tool kits for 20 students completed the motorbike repairing course. The Graduation ceremony conducted on 10th October 2021 in St. Joseph Technical Centre, Rattanabad, Mirpurkhas.
Sewing Skills Training Course
Education, training and skills development in rural areas face particular challenges. Many rural villages do not have access even to basic education and are often limited by both financial barriers and access to opportunity to avail skill trainings. Moreover, the traditional practices also entail specific difficulties for rural girls and women in accessing education and training. The opportunity to avail sewing skills training course gives rural girls and women a glimpse of hope to brighter their future. The identification and selection of 15 youth (girls) for admission in tailoring/sewing skills training course selected on the selection criteria of PCDP. PCDP established of 01 training location and provision of sewing materials including cloth, scissors, etc. needed for tailoring/sewing skills training course.
15 women and girls completed the 03 months tailoring/sewing skills training course. At the end of the training course all the women and girls received course certificate along with Sewing machine and Paddle stand for sewing machine. The graduation ceremony is conducted on 17th November 2021 in St. Joseph Technical Centre, Rattanabad, Mirpurkhas.
