First Lady Samina Arif Alvi has said that skill-based vocational training is imperative for socio-economic development and industrial growth of the country. She stated this during a meeting with different stakeholders of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector at Governor House Karachi, according to a communique issue here Saturday. ‘We should keep an eye on the changing trends of the sector and shift our focus towards demand driven and technology based skills,’ she said. Samina Alvi emphasized the importance of linkage between training institute and the industry. She said that industry and institute should establish strong liaison to ensure maximum employment. She further said that the youth should be encouraged to become entrepreneurs. Earlier, the Managing Director STEVTA, Dr. Ghulam Mustafa briefed the First Lady regarding the functions and structure of the organization and its role in imparting skill-oriented trainings across the province. The First Lady urged the participants to create conducive environment for the differently-abled persons by designing special training programmes for them. She also urged all the stakeholders to create awareness among the masses about the importance of vocational skills. The meeting was attended by the Managing Director and officials of STEVTA, heads of private vocational institutes and others.