The Punjab Skills Mapping Exercise 2019–20 was a rapid, province-wide labour market intelligence initiative commissioned by TEVTA (Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority) — the Government of Punjab agency responsible for technical and vocational education across Pakistan’s most populous province. Dr. Ghulam Mohey-ud-din co-led the Punjab Skills Mapping Exercise as Economist and Deputy Project Director, directing the analytical framework design, employer demand survey implementation, and labour market gap analysis across Punjab’s diverse industrial and geographic landscape.
Context and Purpose
TEVTA operated one of Pakistan’s largest networks of technical training institutes — spanning hundreds of institutions across all districts of Punjab — but faced a persistent challenge: the skills produced by public vocational training were not consistently aligned with the requirements of Punjab’s evolving industrial base. Employer demand and supply-side training outputs had drifted apart over time, resulting in poor employment outcomes for graduates, unmet skills needs for employers, and inefficient use of public resources. The Punjab Skills Mapping Exercise was designed to systematically close this intelligence gap, providing TEVTA with the evidence base it needed to realign its programme portfolio with actual market demand and sector growth trajectories.
Methodology
The Punjab Skills Mapping Exercise was structured around three analytical pillars. First, a structured employer demand survey was conducted across Punjab’s key industrial sectors and geographic clusters — covering textiles, engineering, construction, agro-processing, ICT, healthcare, and logistics — assessing current and projected skill requirements, occupational demand, and the specific technical competencies most sought by employers. Second, a supply-side analysis examined existing TEVTA programme outputs, enrolment patterns by trade, geographic distribution of training capacity, and graduate employment tracking data. Third, a spatial skills gap analysis mapped the mismatch between skills supply and employer demand by district, sector, and occupational category — using GIS-based mapping to visualise geographic concentrations of skills deficits and surpluses across Punjab. Economic analysis of sectoral growth trajectories was integrated throughout to ensure findings were forward-looking and actionable beyond the immediate survey period.
Key Deliverables
- Punjab Skills Mapping Survey Report — comprehensive province-wide skills intelligence assessment
- Employer Demand Analysis by sector, district, and occupational category
- Skills Supply-Demand Gap Assessment — current gaps and five-year projections
- GIS-based Skills Maps for Punjab districts — visualising geographic skills deficits
- TEVTA Programme Realignment Recommendations — evidence-based curriculum and capacity adjustments
Outcomes and Impact
The Punjab Skills Mapping Exercise 2019–20 provided TEVTA with the first systematic, evidence-based mapping of skills supply-demand dynamics across Punjab’s labour market. Findings directly informed TEVTA’s programme review cycle, course rationalisation decisions, and geographic expansion of training capacity in high-demand districts. The exercise established a replicable methodology for periodic skills intelligence updating — a significant institutional capability for continuous alignment between TVET provision and labour market needs. This project reflects Dr. Mohey-ud-din’s expertise in labour market analysis, skills development policy, and TVET system reform in Pakistan.