The Salt Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SMAP), in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme and the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission, has announced the launch of a free technical training programme aimed at developing a skilled workforce for Pakistan’s salt industry.

In a joint statement, SMAP Founder-Chairman Ismail Suttar, Chairperson Saima Akhtar and former chairman Qasim Yaqoob Paracha said the three-month programme would commence on August 24, with 100 students to be enrolled in the first batch.

They said the initiative was designed to equip young men and women with industry-specific skills, enhance their employment prospects and support the long-term growth of the country’s salt sector.

They said participants would receive comprehensive training in salt packaging and quality control, salt mining, export documentation and the production of value-added salt products.