LAHORE, June 4: The provincial government is launching the Punjab Youth Policy 2012 with a strategic framework of youth development to help young people acquire social, moral, physical, spiritual, cognitive and emotional competencies.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will formally launch the policy at a ceremony at Alhamra Cultural Complex on Wednesday (tomorrow) and the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker will give a briefing about the policy on Tuesday (today).

The policy, finalised by the Punjab government with the technical assistance of Gujranwala-based youth development organisation Bargad and United Nations Population Fund, was approved by the Punjab cabinet on May 28. Bargad held a series of consultative meetings with stakeholders before finalising the policy, which proposes concrete mechanisms for economic, social and political empowerment of the youth. The policy proposes an online job bank and a provincial, national and international job market survey and database to inform the youth about potential openings and guide educational and vocational training institutes.

The policy envisages Youth Venture Capital Fund to support new business ideas and entrepreneurship. It will encourage universities to provide on-campus jobs to at least five per cent of their full time student population and set up career placement offices. It will launch Punjab Internship Programme to maximise opportunities for fresh graduates.

The policy proposes a holistic approach toward health needs of the youth, implementation of laws against forced and early marriages, concept of volunteerism at school level and student unions/councils with pro-peace, women-friendly and student-centred politics at campuses by dissociating them from political parties.

The policy envisages autonomous Punjab Youth Development Foundation for a robust and institutional mechanism for implementation. The foundation will be headed by a board of directors that shall constitute the Punjab Youth Commission.

The foundation will be funded by Punjab Youth Endowment Fund with one-time seed money from the government and later it will be run under a public-private partnership.

The policy proposes “See Pakistan Programme” for youth mobility, new youth hostels and encouraging the private sector for affordable hotel business, promotion of local languages as well as arts and music through institutions and youth trips to important government institutions.

Talking to Dawn, Bargad Executive Director Sabiha Shaheen said: “The policy will enable an environment to facilitate the youth in exploiting its full potential to access facilities and socio-economic opportunities for its development.”

It is the first youth policy by any province of Pakistan after devolution of youth affairs from federal to provincial governments under the 18th Amendment. —MANSOOR MALIK