BISP
is a social safety net that endeavors to tackle poverty through multi-pronged
strategy. It not only assists in poverty management but also works to graduate
its beneficiaries out of poverty through the cooperation of other government and
non-government organizations working in the field. This was stated by Minister
of State and Chairperson BISP MNA Marvi Memon, while speaking at the signing
ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between BISP and USAID-Punjab
Youth Workforce Development Project (PYWD) for skill training of beneficiary
family members and their placement in the market providing them with wide range
of economic opportunities.
The PYWD is a three-year project which
aims to train and provide employment opportunities for youth in Multan,
Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur districts in South Punjab.
The
MoU was signed by the Chief of Party, PYWD Project Mr. Qaisar Nadeem and DG
BISP Dr. Muhammad Najeeb Khan in the presence of Ms. Marvi Memon and Secretary
BISP, Sardar Azmat Shafi. The ceremony was also attended by Imtiaz Hussain
Malik, Naveed Basharat Hashmi and Ansa Rabia from PYWD Project, MD PVTC Sajid
Naseer, Director National Training Bureau Ashraf Asim, ZM North TEVTA Sheraz
Khan Lodhi, representatives of implementing partners of PYWD Project i.e.
DAI-PREIA Project, IRM, FINCON, GIZ, Jobs, DAI-CRA Project and BISP officials.
This
MoU calls for the joint action and collaboration of BISP and USAID-PYWD Project
to achieve the Federal Government's goal of taking the households out of
poverty by linking them to the complementary initiatives that promote economic
self-sufficiency through the transfer of employability and entrepreneurial
skills, and linking individuals to markets and to strengthen the Prime
Minister's Youth Loan Initiative.
Under
this MoU, BISP will facilitate the PYWD Project to identify, screen and select
marginalized youth from BISP database of the beneficiary families as per BISP
data Sharing Protocol in Multan, Lodhran, Muzaffargarh and Bahawalpur districts.
PYWD aims to target a total of 10,000 (young women at least 35%; young men 65
%) having priority to beneficiaries of the BISP and invest an estimated 400
million in their skill training and job placements. It will also help them
start their businesses by providing them tool kits and microfinance support.
During
the presentation on PYWD Project, Mr. Qaisar Nadeem informed that community
engagement, institutional capacity building and access to workforce education
and training are the key interventions of Project. The Project would ensure
10,000 skilled workforce developed and placed on jobs with at least 35% women.
Under Self-Employment Entrepreneurship Support, 3,500 beneficiaries, preferably
women, would be provided with toolkits and 1,000 with microfinance. Under Job
Placement through Apprenticeship Program, 3,000 beneficiaries would be placed
with industry, 1,500 with informal sector and 1,000 with career counseling
services. The Project would also help improve capacity of 22 TVET sector
government institutes.
On the occasion,
Chairperson BISP appreciated the design and strategies of Punjab Youth Workforce Development
Project and stated that the success of this project would develop an
interesting case study leading to
establish a model for the rest of the world. Chairperson BISP directed her team
for timely provision of data to USAID-PYWD Project in the four districts and
reiterated that quick cooperation from both parties is needed in order to
achieve the best possible results for the betterment of the poorest of the
poor.