Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the country’s embassies abroad to step up efforts to identify employment opportunities for Pakistani workers, saying the government was committed to expanding overseas jobs for skilled and qualified citizens.

Chairing a meeting on youth employment, the prime minister said Pakistan’s workforce had significant potential and called for stronger international outreach to connect skilled workers with global labour markets, according to a statement.

He instructed embassies to gather and share information on available jobs and the qualifications required in host countries.

PM directed the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme to ensure young people received vocational training, foreign language instruction and internationally recognised certifications.

He said the government was taking steps to provide education and training that met international standards to improve the global employability of Pakistani workers.

PM Shehbaz Sharif also instructed relevant institutions to strengthen cooperation with other countries to align Pakistani certifications with international standards and ensure language training and certification for workers seeking jobs in countries where employment opportunities exist.

He directed officials to present a report on the performance of technical and vocational training institutes operating under NAVTTC, as well as on the establishment of Country of Destination Centres.

Officials told the meeting that more than 800,000 young people had registered on the Digital Youth Hub and that overseas employment opportunities were available in sectors including construction, agriculture, tourism, healthcare, transportation, biotechnology, manufacturing, shipbuilding, information technology, engineering, nursing, pharmaceuticals and food production.

The meeting was informed that training programmes were underway to prepare Pakistanis for employment in those sectors.

Pakistani embassies will provide information on overseas job opportunities and the qualifications required through the Digital Youth Hub portal, officials told the meeting.