Human resource development significantly contributes to the economic growth and productivity of a nation. Achieving socioeconomic development is not possible without managing the youth bulge and catering to them with skill development initiatives. Skilled individuals are of paramount significance for sustainable growth and development. They drive innovation and bring in new technologies, products, and services that significantly contribute to economic diversification by allowing several industries to flourish and come out of the traditional trap. As a result, it reduces vulnerability to socioeconomic issues and enhances resilience. In this regard, Balochistan is lagging behind the other provinces in several socioeconomic indicators despite having the potential. Its educated youth is increasingly feeling frustrated because years of university cannot guarantee them a job to make ends meet. This is due to several reasons that include a lack of industry-education linkages, limited market-based and technical skills, and a dearth of entrepreneurial programs.

In 2021, approximately 25000 students of Balochistan graduated from different universities in Pakistan and merely 2000 students were able to secure jobs in the public and private sectors. The labor force survey of 2021 shows that Balochistan has the highest unemployment rate among other provinces in Pakistan, reaching 9.13%. This is primarily due to the lack of job opportunities in the province and the non-existent private sector. Another reason for this high rate is the disconnect between industry and universities. This impedes students from exploring their respective fields in the practical realm leading to limited knowledge about practical implications. When these students graduate from university, they usually rely on government jobs that are very limited in commensuration with the graduates entering the market each year. Industries and academic institutions should collaborate to start taking proactive measures to address these shortages. Several widely recognized and readily attainable remedies include a well-designed internship program that can provide industry-based experience and skills.

One of the contributing factors to this unemployment is the lack of market-based skills in the graduates. Some disciplines in universities are being taught but have less relevance to the skills demanded in the market. The theoretical side is more focused than the practical one. These institutions have not enabled the students to acquire market-essential skills. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the labor force participation rate of youth in the province is 44.44% which is the lowest in Pakistan. One of the reasons is that the graduates often migrate to other provinces for better opportunities in the private sector and end up in the trap of low-paid jobs and turn out in hopelessness. Thus, the institutions must recognize the significance of skills and design a mechanism that allows students to acquire skills that are necessary for survival in the uncertain labor market in Balochistan.

Keeping the economic situation of Pakistan in general and Balochistan in particular, it is the need of the hour to have skilled youth that creates opportunities for themselves and others as well. For this to be practical the authorities and educational institutions must play their role. All educational institutions should implement major structural changes, primarily at the bachelor’s degree level, to support and empower our children to meet the demands of the labor market. To expand the students’ skill set, the institutes should also introduce and include them in a variety of skill development activities. Students should be encouraged to work alongside studies that will allow them to acquire professional skills before their graduation.

Entrepreneurial culture should be promoted in educational institutions. Currently, the National Incubation Centre, Quetta at BUTIEMS is playing a significant role in empowering the entrepreneurs in the province. In the past three years startups from 22 districts have been attracted by NIC, a clear indication of its role in encouraging entrepreneurial culture. Since 2018, it has graduated 65 startups that have generated 480 jobs with cumulative sales of approximately 86 million rupees and investment of 68 million rupees. The authorities must encourage the development of such kind of institutions that promote innovation and create self-employed people through entrepreneurship. There is a need for a behavioral change to shift ourselves from the mentality of Sarkari Naukri “Government Job” towards entrepreneurship. In the short run, the authorities should increase the allocation for skills development and entrepreneurship. On the other hand, in the long run, educational institutions should play their role by making entrepreneurial ventures as a crucial element of their overall educational structure.

Manahil Bazai
The writer is a Research Assistant at Balochistan Think Tank Network, Quetta.