Photo Caption: USAID Deputy Mission Director Kevin Brownawell and the Senior Minister for IT and Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai today signed an agreement for a new program that will train and provide Cisco-certification to more than 3,000 young men and women enrolled in higher education and technical institutions across nine districts of the province.
Peshawar, December 14, 2016: USAID Deputy Mission Director Kevin Brownawell and the Senior Minister for IT and Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai today signed an agreement for a new program to train youth from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and KP in information and communication technology. The program will train and provide Cisco-certification to more than 3,000 young men and women enrolled in higher education and technical institutions across nine districts of the province.
“Our government gives high importance to collaboration with the United States to promote education and youth training in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” Minister Tarakai said. “Working together in the education sector, we can improve quality and access to information and communication technology, which is the need of the hour,” he added.
Mr. Brownawell highlighted the importance of empowering Pakistani youth through training in employability skills that will lead to economic opportunities. “Youth across Pakistan, and especially in conflict-affected areas of KP and FATA, face challenges in gaining relevant skills that prepare them for employment,” said Mr. Brownawell. “The project we are launching today will engage the youth in KP and FATA in developing certified ICT skills and link them to employment opportunities. This will ultimately contribute to long-term stability, economic growth, and progress of Pakistan.”
The U.S. Consul General in Peshawar Mr. Raymond McGrath praised the project for helping today’s youth build the technical skills they will need for successful careers and social leadership.
The USAID-funded Skills for Youth Project is a pilot project in USAID’s Global Development Alliance (GDA) in Pakistan that partners with the private sector on a resource sharing basis. The Skills for Youth Project will establish Cisco Networking Academies in 40 institutions across nine KP districts with a 1:1 partnership with Cisco Systems. The project will also train selected teachers from these institutions to become instructor trainers to deliver student training in IT skills.
December 14, 2016 Contact: U.S. Embassy
For Immediate Release Public Affairs Section
051-201-5427, 051-201-4423, 091-5268800
