BAHAWALPUR: The USAID’s Punjab Youth Workforce Development (PYWD) project and the Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) held a roundtable with the local industrialists and training providers to expedite training and placement of the youths in the district. The event attracted business owners from diverse sectors who shared their workforce requirements and recommendations to improve skills in specific vocations. Also present at the roundtable were representatives from the Punjab government’s Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC), local businesses and the Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry Bahawalpur (WCCIB). In his remarks, Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Muhammad Saleem Iqbal said, “The Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry hopes that this initiative will bring in more economic opportunities for the people of the district. It is an excellent opportunity for businesses to form a partnership with training providers and other stakeholders in the community for the development and placement of a skilled workforce that serves their specific needs.” Speaking on the occasion, Louis Berger Chief of Party Qaisar Nadeem stated, “The USAID-PYWD project combines community engagement, institutional capacity building, access to workforce education and training to ensure sustainable skills development for youth in the focus districts.” He added that the project would enable both young men and women to play a constructive role in the socio-economic development of their communities. It is a three-year project that will work with Pakistani partner institutions to provide employment, including entrepreneurship opportunities, to over 10,000 youths in Multan, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur districts of southern Punjab. The USAID-PYWD project’s activities complement the Punjab government’s policy to generate employment for the youth through technical education, provision of stipend and internship opportunities, as well as assisting in the start-up and expansion of youth businesses through access to finance.