Lahore Technical Training Centres Worth Rs2.94bn
Lahore technical training centres worth more than Rs2.94 billion have been approved for Shahdara, in a move aimed at giving young people modern trade skills and better job prospects.
The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved three major projects to establish the centres. The three projects have a combined estimated cost of over Rs2.94 billion, with Rs566 million allocated in the current fiscal year’s budget. The Punjab Finance Department has also been directed to release funds for the approved projects.
Lahore technical training centres: what will be built
The approved projects include a Centre of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Technologies, a Modern Woodworking Service Centre, and a Centre of Excellence for the Construction Sector. All three will be set up in Shahdara, Lahore.
The centres will provide young people with practical training in advanced machinery, modern woodworking techniques, and automotive technologies. The aim is to move skills training beyond traditional apprenticeships with carpenters, masons, and auto mechanics, and to teach the modern methods that employers now demand.
The initiative aims to improve employment and income opportunities by equipping young people with modern technical skills. Officials say those skills could help trainees earn hundreds of thousands of rupees, a significant sum for households in Shahdara and nearby areas.
Shahdara sits on Lahore’s northern edge, close to workshops, small factories, and transport routes. A training hub there puts modern equipment within reach of young workers who now learn largely on the job, often without formal certification.
Why formal trade training matters for Punjab
Punjab’s labour market has long relied on informal apprenticeships. A young mechanic or carpenter typically learns from a senior worker over several years, but rarely gains a certificate that employers in larger firms or abroad recognise.
Formal centres change that equation. Trainees learn on modern machinery, follow a set curriculum, and leave with skills they can show to an employer. That matters in automotive work, where new vehicles use electronic systems that old workshop methods cannot diagnose. It matters in woodwork too, where modern tools and finishes set the standard for furniture makers. In construction, formal training in safety and modern methods can raise both wages and site standards.
The Punjab government has pursued skills projects before. Pakistan and China recently agreed 14 skills projects, covered in Pakistan, China Agree 14 Skills Projects. The Shahdara centres add a domestic anchor to that effort, with training based in Lahore itself rather than tied to a foreign partnership.
Digital skills training is also expanding in the country. The State Bank’s digital payments training programme, covered in SBP Digital Payments Training Launched, shows how formal training now covers both workshop trades and office-based work. Together, these programmes point to a wider shift toward certified skills across the economy.
What happens next
The Finance Department must now release the funds, starting with the Rs566 million allocated for the current fiscal year. Once funds flow, the centres move to construction and equipment stages, and admission details should follow.
Young people in Shahdara and across Lahore will watch for announcements on courses, entry requirements, and fees. If the centres open on schedule, they could become a model for similar hubs in other Punjab cities, where informal apprenticeships still dominate trade training.
Frequently asked questions
How much will the Lahore training centres cost?
The three projects have a combined estimated cost of over Rs2.94 billion, with Rs566 million allocated in the current fiscal year’s budget.
Where will the centres be built?
The centres will be established in Shahdara, Lahore.
What trades will the centres teach?
The centres will cover advanced automotive technologies, modern woodworking, and the construction sector.
Who approved the projects?
The Punjab Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) approved the three projects.
What happens next for the centres?
The Punjab Finance Department has been directed to release funds, after which construction, equipment, and admissions should follow.
