DFID 7255 - Skills Development Programme

Actual CPV code is ‘75211200 Foreign Economic-Aid Related Services’.

Skills Development Programme (SDP) is the second phase of DFID’s investment in the skills sector in Punjab, Pakistan. It builds on the lessons learnt and the operational experience of the skills sector gained through the skills components of the ongoing Punjab Economic Opportunities Programme (PEOP). Under PEOP, DFID in partnership with the Government of the Punjab established the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF). Both the sponsors committed £25 million each to the PSDF, while DFID committed an additional £5.0 million as technical assistance. The TA is covering monitoring and evaluation, and capacity and organizational strengthening support for PSDF.

The Fund became operational in 2010 as a not-for-profit company. It provides competitive grants to private and public skill providers in order to skill poor and vulnerable men and women in a range of trades. Over the past 5 years of operations, the Fund has established itself as a successful skills financing business model. It is led by a private sector-led Board and management.

The initial success of the Fund has won it high political support, and paved the way for DFID/PSDF to influence emerging thinking on skills policy and regulatory reforms. Most importantly, PSDF operations have drawn attention to the inefficiencies in public sector skill delivery and the potential of the private sector to deliver cost effective and job oriented training.

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