The Pakistan Furniture Council (PFC) has announced a free specialised training programme for convicts in Punjab jails to produce highly skilled woodworkers. The initiative was discussed during a meeting between PFC Chief Executive Officer Mian Kashif Ashfaq and Inspector General of Prisons Punjab Mian Farooq Nazeer, on Sunday. Mian Kashif stated that Pakistan is currently facing a severe shortage of skilled woodworkers. To address this issue, the PFC has decided to train convicts using modern techniques to meet market demands. He also assured that upon successful completion of the training, the convicts would be offered employment in furniture manufacturing factories with attractive salary packages. Dr Waqar Chaudhry, advisor to the PFC, suggested that the council might consider providing a reasonable monthly stipend to trainee convicts to encourage maximum participation. The training program will initially include a six-month course in the central jails of Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi. The PFC will deploy top-class trainers and organise special lectures on the importance of planting more trees to combat climate change and meet the country’s wood requirements. Inspector General Mian Farooq Nazeer appreciated the PFC’s goodwill gesture and formed a high-level committee to assess the feasibility of launching the training courses.