Gems, Jewellery can generate thousands of jobs: Masooma

Thousands of news jobs could be generated by promoting business, vocational and designing training pertaining to precious gems and jewellery which would help in resolving unemployment issue in the country including Balochistan province.

This was said by Member Balochistan Assembly, Masooma Hayat, Principal Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre Quetta, Bashir Agha and other speakers at NAVTCC Competition 2016 held under Prime Minister Youth Skills and Development Programme at Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre Quetta, here on Wednesday. Masooma said that Balochistan is rich in natural resources which could help in boosting national economy.

"Balochistan having mines and minerals worth billions of dollars can resolve all financial challenges faced by the country besides providing employment to all jobless youth of the province," she said. She urged on non-government organizations to extend their cooperation towards Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre Quetta to provide technical and vocational training to maximum number of youth.

Bashir Agha said that reserves of precious stones had ended in several countries while Balochistan still has widespread reserves of precious stones worth billions of dollars in international market.

He said that millions of girls were given jewellery designing education in India, Thailand, China, Korea, other countries and their designed jewellery were being sold out in markets in Europe, America and Canada. He said that a large number of Pakistani women could be empowered financially if they are given jewellery designing education.

"There is a high scope for business pertaining to gems and jewellery in international market and we can get benefit from it by providing training to girls," he said. Director NAVTTC Islamabad, Riaz Ahmed Hural, DG NAVTTC Balochistan, Shahid Bilal, Manager Asif Jamaldini and Manager SMEDA, Shakoor Ahmed said that NAVTTC and SMEDA have been arranging vocational and technical training to youth at over 45 different institutes across the country.

They said that 6,000 more youth would also be given training under Prime Minister Youth Skills and Development Programme. Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre Quetta's Laboratory incharge, Fareen Agha, Ahmadullah Agha, Muhammad Arif, Haji Bashir, Haji Ibrahim, Ishaq Khan and others were present.