LAHORE – Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TANG Chinese Education & Technology Ltd. and China Global Professional & Technical Certification Centre (CGPTC), to advance cooperation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). The organizations formalized their partnership, reaffirming their joint resolve to expand skills opportunities for young people across Punjab with a focus on internationally aligned skills training, industry engagement, and human capital development.  

The MoU signing brought together senior leadership from the three organizations. The agreement was signed by Ahmed Khan, CEO of PSDF, Li Jinsong, President & Founder TANG Chinese Education & Technology Ltd. and Vincent Que, CEO of CGPTC. 

The partnership establishes a collaborative framework to explore opportunities in recognized skills training, international certification, trainer capacity building, industry linkages and knowledge exchange to support continued development of skills ecosystem. 

The partners will explore joint training initiatives in priority sectors including Construction, Engineering, Agriculture, Hospitality, Tourism, Chinese Language, Electric Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Technologies, and E-Commerce.  

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Khan, CEO of PSDF, said: 

"This collaboration reflects our commitment to Pakistan-China cooperation in skills development by equipping Pakistani youth with internationally recognized skills and pathways to quality employment.” 

The parties will further explore opportunities to strengthen institutional linkages between training service providers and Chinese industries operating in Pakistan through employer engagement, curriculum relevance, and workforce development initiatives.  

In addition, the MoU provides a platform to explore Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programmes, professional exchanges, and institutional capacity-building initiatives aligned with international standards. The Parties will also exchange knowledge on skills gaps, labour market trends, industry competitiveness, and best practices while participating in forums and learning events. 

Li Jinsong, President & Founder, TANG Chinese Education & Technology Ltd., emphasized on the importance of a joint synergy: 

"We are pleased to collaborate with PSDF to explore the development of a collaborative framework that brings together key TVET stakeholders. Together, we look forward to strengthening industry-relevant skills and workforce readiness through international cooperation.”  

Vincent Que, CEO of CGPTC, added:  

"We are committed to supporting this collaboration through digital learning platforms, training-of-trainers programs, and technical expertise.”  

This partnership advances PSDF’s broader mission of connecting Pakistan’s skilled talent pipeline to global demand, building the institutional architecture for a skills ecosystem that creates lasting economic value for Punjab’s youth and the national economy. 

Lahore — The Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), in partnership with the World Bank Group, hosted an expert roundtable on Pakistan’s Skills and Jobs Agenda, bringing together leaders from the health, technology, and government sectors to chart a clearer path from training to employment and from domestic skills development to global labour market access. The session was chaired by Mamta Murthi, Vice President of the World Bank Group’s People Vice Presidency, and moderated by Ahmed Khan, CEO of PSDF. Discussions centered on two priority sectors; Human Resources for Health (HRH) and IT & IT Outsourcing (ITO) along with the governance and labour mobility frameworks needed to support Punjab’s ongoing skills transformation. 

Opening the session, Mamta Murthi stressed that outcomes, not outputs, must drive the skills agenda. "The real test is not the number of certificates or the number of people trained. The real test is whether people land in meaningful jobs. That must be not a corollary, but the focus of skills and workforce development,” she said. Adnan Afzal Chattha, Chairman of the Chief Minister’s Task Force on Skills Development in Punjab, outlined the province’s commitment to aligning its qualifications with international benchmarks. Punjab has signed an MoU with UK awarding bodies to adopt the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) and is finalizing an agreement with an international healthcare placement partner to connect qualified Pakistani health workers with European markets.  

"We want to train our workforce to the standard of the destination, not just the standard of the sending institution. Skilled manpower export is not a peripheral policy ambition, it is a macroeconomic imperative,” he said. Ahmed Khan, CEO of PSDF, reflected on the outcomes of the day’s discussion: "This roundtable has surfaced both the depth of the challenge and the clarity of the path forward. We are going to start working on the action steps, and we hope to have many more of these conversations until we get it right.” 

The roundtable highlighted strong momentum in Pakistan’s IT sector. IT exports crossed USD 437 million in December 2025, the first month ever to exceed USD 400 million with the sector growing at 20 percent year-on-year. IT sector employability has risen from 10 percent to 32 percent over the past two to three years, driven by targeted, demand-led curriculum reform, evidence that this model delivers results. A national centralized assessment of 41,000 final-year IT and CS graduates, conducted in April 2026 using industry-designed questions, marks a major step toward credible, independent quality measurement across the sector. 

On the health front, Pakistan produces roughly 5,600 nursing graduates annually, with international placement demand rising sharply, particularly in Europe and the Gulf. Participants agreed that pre-departure language preparation, cultural immersion programs, and stronger embassy-level facilitation are the investments most likely to accelerate Pakistan’s growing footprint in international health labour markets. 

On governance, Punjab’s establishment of an independent Department for Skills Development and Entrepreneurship was recognized as a landmark institutional reform, bringing the province’s skills bodies under a single, unified accountability structure. Participants also identified formally mapping Pakistan’s National Vocational Qualifications Framework to the European Qualifications Framework as the most critical next step in unlocking full access to European labour markets, a process Punjab is already advancing through its engagement with UK awarding bodies.  

Adnan Afzal Chattha confirmed that a three-year budget proposal has been submitted to the Chief Minister for approval, covering EQF adoption, international employer partnerships, Punjab Board of Technical Education reform, and the scale-up of programs for rural women, IT, hospitality, and agriculture. "We are always looking forward to your guidance and experience. Wherever you are working with other stakeholders in the world, we are ready to learn from you and work with you,” he added. 

PSDF remains committed to working with the World Bank Group and international partners to ensure Punjab’s skilled workforce is equipped not just with certificates, but with real access to meaningful, sustainable employment at home and abroad. 

Lahore – From salons in Lahore to IT startups in Multan, 1,054 transgender individuals have transformed their lives through PSDF | Pehchan program – Skilling Program for Transgenders Under CM’s Skilled Punjab Initiative, many entering the workforce for the first time in history. 980+ transgenders individuals have already secured jobs with reputable employers, while others are launching their own small businesses, marking a breakthrough for industry linkages and inclusion.

This initiative directly supports the Government of Punjab’s vision under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to create a Skilled Punjab where every citizen regardless of gender or identity has access to dignified livelihoods. By prioritizing vulnerable and marginalized communities, PSDF | Pehchan reflects the government’s broader mission of inclusive growth, social justice, and economic empowerment.

PSDF | Pehchan launched in November 2024 under the Chief Minister’s Skilled Punjab Initiative, is reversing this narrative by providing transgender persons with pathways to dignity, opportunity, and recognition.

Delivered by PSDF in collaboration with 18+ training service providers like Depilex, Khawaja Sira Society & STEP; PSDF | Pehchan equips participants with high-demand skills in Beauty & Grooming, Culinary Arts, Performing Arts, Information Technology, Handicrafts, Digital Freelancing.

Alongside technical training, the program ensures holistic support: monthly stipends, travel allowances, professional toolkits, and assistance with NADRA and PSER registration giving participants the tools and recognition to enter the workforce with dignity long denied to them.

Since its launch, PSDF | Pehchan has reached trainees in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, and Gujranwala. Graduates are stepping into formal jobs, freelancing careers, and entrepreneurial ventures, setting an example of what inclusive skills development can achieve.

“For too long, transgender persons have been denied opportunities others take for granted. With Pehchan, we are not just training them — we are opening doors to dignity, careers, and inclusion in Punjab’s economy,” said Ahmed Khan, CEO PSDF.

As the first dedicated skills program for the transgender community in Punjab, Pehchan represents more than training it is a replicable model for inclusive economic growth, aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). It reaffirms PSDF’s mission to build an economy where no one is left behind.