ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on Tuesday said around 160,000 youth will be trained in Information Technology (IT) and other industrial skills under the Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Programme (PMYSDP) worth Rs15 billionin the next three years. The ministry said the skill development programme is expected to transform the country’s economy and social landscape by producing a highly skilled workforce. “It aims to boost domestic productivity, enhance foreign remittances and foster a knowledge-based economy,” read a statement issued by the ministry. The initiative was okayed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council’s (ECNEC) huddle on Monday in Islamabad. The scheme comprises several initiatives including the Prime Minister Youth Skill Initiative for IT Competence, the Prime Minister Youth Skill Initiative for Industrial Productivity, the Prime Minister Youth Skill Initiative for Conventional Skills, and the Prime Minister Youth Skill Initiative for Newly Merged Districts. Respectively, 46,000 youth will be trained in IT and digital technologies, 64,000 in industrial skills, 49,000 in conventional skills, and 1,500 youth from the newly merged districts will be trained in various other skills. Additionally, the ministry said that the said programme includes the establishment of eight High-Impact IT Training Centres alongside formal skill verification and certification initiatives.