The Minister of Youth Empowerment, Information and Art, Ibrahim Waheed, has announced that the Government has conducted several programmes aimed at increasing youth participation in the workforce, benefitting more than 1,000 young people.

He made the statement while responding to a question on youth unemployment during the sixth session of the Ahaa Forum.

As part of ongoing efforts to boost employment, the Minister revealed that 657 young people have secured jobs through courses offered under the National Apprenticeship Programme (NAP) and are currently employed.

He added that 420 individuals have completed training under the Community Upskilling Programme (CUP), which targets those previously ineligible for jobs. Graduates of the programme are now considered eligible for employment, effectively removing a key barrier to entering the workforce.

The Minister stressed that the Government remains committed to addressing youth unemployment, noting that lasting solutions require collaboration between companies and relevant agencies.