Khyber Pakthunkhwa Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (KP TEVTA) and five paramedical institutions here Thursday signed an agreement for promotion of technical education and skills enhancement of youth of merged tribal districts. Program Manager, Skills Development, KP TEVTA Khushal Khattak and heads/representatives of five paramedical institutions signed the agreement during an impressive ceremony here at Government Advance Technical Training Centre, Hayatabad. The paramedical institutions that signed the agreement include Welfare Relief Committee and National Institute for Health and Management Sciences Peshawar, North West Institute of Health and Management Sciences Peshawar, Premier Institute for Health and Management Sciences Peshawar, Udyana Institute of Medical Sciences Abbotabad and Udyana Institute of Medical Sciences Swat. Engeer Sajjad Ali Shah, Managing Director, KP TEVTA, Muhammad Riaz Khan, Additional Deputy Commissioner North Waziristan, Engr Mughal Baz, Director Procurement KP TEVTA, Muhammad Salim, Assistant Economics Advisor of the Industries Department, Hizbullah Khan, Deputy Director Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) Planning and Development Department, Khushal Khattak, Program Manager Skills KP TEVTA and Imran Khan, Planning Coordinator Skills, KP TEVTA besides representatives of the paramedical institutions, health professionals and academicians attended in substantial number. As per the agreement, 360 students of merged tribal districts would be provided two-years professional educational training in nine different paramedical technologies by enabling them to get a dignified job in health sector having plenty of jobs opportunities. Sajjad Ali Shah, Managing Director KP TEVTA in his address and later talking to APP said that tribal youth have enormous potential to excel in every field of education including technical education and signing of the agreement with top five paramedical institutions of KP would immensely help 360 tribal students selected on merit to serve ailing humanity with best of their abilities, skills and play key role in process of national development. He said 27 projects with allocation of Rs515 million for promotion of technical education and vocational trainings in merged areas and 13 projects with Rs 400 million allocation for KP during current fiscal year have been launched for education and socioeconomic empowerment of youth. MD KP TEVTA said major focus was being made on infrastructure development, equipment, furniture, purchase of transport’s buses for facilitation of students and solarization of technical educational institutions in the province including seven merged tribal districts where work on development projects were expedited. Welcoming KP Government’s announcement regarding establishment of a sub-campus of the National College of Arts (NCA) at Peshawar, Managing Director said NCA was a reputable educational college based in Lahore and its sub campus at Peshawar would help provide quality technical education including architecture, fine art and different types of designs including textile and ceramic designs to our students at their doorsteps. He said Rs500,000 to Rs five million soft loans were bring provided to youth under Kamay Jawan Program besides Rs1 billion approved for provision of micro loans through Bank of Khyber to tribal youth. MD KP TEVTA said a record 10 billion ‘Skills for All’ program has been approved for promotion of technical education and vocational training in the country, adding special seats for afghan refugees, orphans, minorities and persons with disabilities in technical education and professional training institutes were allocated in KP. Program Manager Skills KP TEVTA, Khushal Khattak said about 10,363 candidates applied out of whom 360 students were selected on merit for two years diploma courses. He said the program was aimed at provision of institution based professional training to selected tribal youth followed by field internship program along with Rs 10,000 to Rs15,000 per month stipends.