Skills Mapping for Selected Industries of Special Economic Zones: Job Creation for Unemployed Youth of Balochistan

Abstract

We examined identifying the TVET institutional framework, mapping TVET skills, and estimating the available and potential jobs creation by selected nine industries of special economic and export processing zones (SEZs/EPZs) of Balochistan. Three field visits, three focus group discussions, and 20 plus key informant interviews via mixed research methods are conducted for mapping skills about the three categories of existing, proposed, and potential industries of Balochistan. The study results show that the provincial TVET system is underdeveloped to break-even the supply and demand gaps in technical, vocational, common, and specific TVET skills. The provision of relevant TVET skills may potentially develop skilled human resources to break-even the current and futuristic jobs creation and employment opportunities for the bulge of unemployed youth of Balochistan. The study is relevant to pinpoint some policy options for skillbased human resource development endeavours in the context of ongoing industrial development proposed for SEZs/EPZs of Balochistan.