Minister Stresses Skills Training For Mine Workers

LAHORE, Jan 2 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 02nd Jan, 2017 ) : Provincial Minister for Mines and Minerals Chaudhry Sher Ali Khan has said that skills training and capacity building along with welfare of mine workers was essential to ensure healthy and safe mining environment and maximise mineral productivity.

He was speaking at a scholarship distribution ceremony among the trainees of Mines Sector Skill Development Programme at Training Mines Katas Chakwal on Monday, according to a handout issued here.

The minister said that provincial government was making all-out efforts to promote skill development, with demand-driven latest training of mine workers, introducing research-based infrastructural reforms with ultra-modern mining technologies to give Mines and Minerals Department a modern, market-based investment-friendly outlook.

He distributed cheques amounting to Rs 1,509,000 among 144 trainees of three skills training institutes including Training Mines, Punjab school of Mines Katas and Rescue and Safety Station Manara, district Chakwal.

The minister said that skills training was the best possible substitute of formal education as it not only empowers the youth to earn livelihood but also plays a pivotal role in promotion of industrial and economic activities in the country.

Ch Sher Ali said that under the Punjab Growth Strategy 2018, more than 2 million youth would be given skills training in different trades of all provincial departments till the next year. The trainees under Mines Sector Skills Training Programme have been provided state-of-the-art training in eight different trades including Mines Electrician, Underground Mining, Mines Machinery Operators, Health and Safety Management System and Geographic Information System, he added.