CHIP (Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Programme) has a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the TEVTA Secretariat Punjab to collaborate on the Ready for Inclusive Sustainable Employment and Entrepreneurship Project across Punjab province. In this context, CHIP has planned a pre-job fair meeting with potential employers in District Rawalpindi, in close coordination with TEVTA Punjab. The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce has also been invited to participate in the meeting.
22 Potential industries including Chamber representative participated in the meeting. The purpose of this meeting was to identify potential industries and sensitize them about the importance of providing employment opportunities for youth with disabilities. The industries shared their experiences regarding the employment of persons with disabilities and discussed their policies related to the recruitment of new employees. They also outlined the criteria for hiring staff at their various locations. The participants appreciated the efforts made to strengthen key support functions within the labour market.
As a result of the meeting, a linkage was established with the respective employers, and it was agreed that individual follow-up meetings would be conducted with them. Additionally, a trade-wise database of youth with disabilities seeking employment or entrepreneurship opportunities will be compiled and shared with potential employers based on their specific requirements.
As part of the follow-up to the pre-job fair meeting, a meeting was held with the senior management of Honda Atlas at their office to explore potential employment opportunities for youth with disabilities. The management responded positively and showed clear willingness to recruit persons with disabilities within their organization. They also shared their hiring criteria for persons with disabilities, as well as internship opportunities available in Gilgit and Dera Ismail Khan for both persons with disabilities and non-disabled persons. The discussion further included possible next steps such as sharing candidate profiles, identifying suitable positions, and arranging orientation or sensitization sessions for staff to ensure a smooth and inclusive recruitment process.