Pakistan China Skills Deals to Train Youth
Pakistan has secured 11 cooperation agreements and 14 skills and education projects with Chinese institutions. The deals were signed during Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan’s visit to China from October 27 to November 3. The Pakistan China skills package aims to expand international qualifications, technical training and job opportunities for Pakistani youth.
Pakistan recorded the highest number of signings among participating countries at the 27th China Annual Conference and Expo for International Education (CACIE 2026), according to a press release cited by ProPakistani. The agreements cover mechatronics, green energy, mobile communications, nursing, modern agriculture, cross-border e-commerce and international skills certification.
Pakistan China skills: who signed what
PMYP is directly a party to three of the 11 agreements. Those three were signed with the China Global Professional and Technical Certification Center, Jilin Electronic Information Vocational and Technical College, and Peili Vocational College.
The remaining eight agreements involve Pakistani institutions working with Chinese vocational partners. They are the University of Lahore, Ghazi University, NUTECH Karachi, Preston Institute of Management Science and Technology, and Punjab Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA).
The deals spread across universities, a technical authority and a management institute, with Chinese colleges as partners in each case.
The 14 flagship projects
The visit also produced 14 flagship skills and education initiatives. They include an International Nursing Talent Training Base, a Cross-Border E-Commerce Talent Training Base, Pakistan Tiangong College, a Joint Teacher Training Centre, and new committees on Industrial Robotics and Electronic Information Engineering.
Two early results are already visible. Jilin Electronic Information Vocational and Technical College has already trained 10 Pakistani faculty members. It will also enrol 15 Pakistani students in its Chinese language programme from November.
Mashhood said every student enrolled and every teacher trained was a step towards a stronger and more skilled Pakistan. That line sums up the programme’s pitch: skills first, then jobs.
Green energy and the ML-1 railway link
The chairman also co-launched the International Green Power Talent Development Base. Partners in that base are the China Electricity Council, Thailand’s Office of the Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and TANG International Education Group. It aims to strengthen international cooperation in green energy skills.
During the visit, Mashhood addressed the Belt and Road International Forum on Industry-Education Cooperation. He stressed aligning vocational training with industry needs, promoting joint academic programmes, introducing internationally recognised certifications and strengthening teacher training. He also addressed the International Seminar on Green Energy Talent Exchange at the China Electricity Council.
A separate railway development may matter most for jobs. China Railway Group Secretary Han Hui flew to Pakistan on the same day, after strategic discussions with the PMYP chairman. The purpose was to start on-the-ground work on skills training and employment linked to the Main Line-I (ML-1) railway upgrade. If that work moves ahead, it could turn training deals into railway jobs, which is the outcome young workers will judge.
Mashhood also met Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Ali Asad Gillani, and senior embassy officials to discuss diplomatic support for education partnerships. He held talks with Thailand’s OVEC cooperation director, Benjawan Pokpong, on wider training collaboration among Belt and Road partner countries. He also presented the China-Pakistan International Education Cooperation Awards for 2025-2026 under the auspices of the Pakistan Embassy in Beijing.
To carry the work forward, a PMYP China Secretariat has been set up at the Beijing headquarters of TANG International Education Group. It will coordinate government departments, institutions and industry partners.
Why placement at home will decide the value
Agreements alone do not create jobs. Pakistan has learned that lesson with earlier China training schemes. A parliamentary committee recently asked where China-trained agriculture experts are actually placed, after a batch returned home without clear postings. That question applies to these 14 projects too: training in China only pays off if graduates find matching work in Pakistan.
The government is running parallel youth training at home as well. Its Hunarmand programme offers free training with a stipend, aimed at young people who cannot afford to wait for foreign placements. The China deals should therefore be read alongside domestic schemes, not instead of them. Together, they point to a two-track approach: train some youth abroad, train many more at home, and link both tracks to employers.
For students, the practical next step is to watch for formal calls from PMYP and the partner institutions. The announcements so far name the institutions and fields, but they do not yet publish seat numbers, eligibility rules or application dates for most projects. The Jilin language enrolments from November are the exception, with 15 places already set.
Frequently asked questions
How many Pakistan China skills agreements were signed?
Pakistan secured 11 cooperation agreements and 14 skills and education projects during Rana Mashhood’s October 27 to November 3 visit to China.
Which fields do the agreements cover?
They cover mechatronics, green energy, mobile communications, nursing, modern agriculture, cross-border e-commerce and international skills certification.
Which Pakistani institutions are involved?
They include the University of Lahore, Ghazi University, NUTECH Karachi, Preston Institute of Management Science and Technology, and Punjab TEVTA. PMYP is directly a party to three agreements.
What is Pakistan Tiangong College?
It is one of the 14 flagship skills and education initiatives unveiled or witnessed during the visit. Details on its courses and admissions have not yet been published.
How does the ML-1 railway fit into the skills deals?
China Railway Group Secretary Han Hui flew to Pakistan after talks with the PMYP chairman to start on-the-ground skills training and employment work linked to the ML-1 railway upgrade.
How can young Pakistanis apply for these programmes?
No general application process has been announced yet for most projects. Applicants should watch for formal calls from PMYP and the partner institutions, while the Jilin Chinese language programme will enrol 15 Pakistani students from November.
