Ten young Pakistani graduates have secured employment at the Diamer-Basha Dam Project after successfully completing a six-month paid internship under the second Young Talents Internship Programme.
The programme was jointly organised by Pakistan’s Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Chinese construction company PowerChina to provide practical training and employment opportunities to young Pakistani professionals.
According to a PowerChina notification issued on November 6, the graduation ceremony took place at the Diamer-Basha Dam Project camp, marking the successful completion of the programme’s second batch.
All ten participants secured positions at the project after completing their internships, demonstrating how technical training can help young graduates transition into professional careers.
Pakistani Graduates Receive Practical Training from Chinese Engineers
During their six-month internships, participants gained hands-on experience in several important areas of dam construction and project management.
Their training covered:
- Construction operations and site management
- Quality control and quality assurance
- Workplace health and safety
- Land and construction surveying
- Technical practices used in major infrastructure projects
The graduates received one-on-one mentorship from Chinese engineers, who provided technical guidance and practical exposure to construction activities.
This training allowed participants to develop professional skills in a real project environment while learning about international engineering practices.
Their subsequent recruitment also created a direct employment pathway, allowing the graduates to apply their newly acquired knowledge to ongoing construction activities.
More Than 8,000 Pakistanis Employed at the Project
The Young Talents Internship Programme forms part of broader efforts to increase local participation in the construction of the Diamer-Basha Dam.
According to the project information reported by Gwadar Pro, more than 8,000 Pakistani workers have been recruited for the project.
Furthermore, the first two internship cohorts have trained and employed a combined total of 14 local young people, including the ten graduates from the latest batch.
These initiatives aim to strengthen Pakistan’s technical workforce while creating employment opportunities for communities connected to the major infrastructure project.
The programme also reflects cooperation between Pakistani and Chinese organisations in transferring technical knowledge and developing local professional capacity.
Skills Development Programmes Train More Than 600 Young People
Beyond the formal internship programme, WAPDA and its partners have supported wider skills development initiatives for communities near the construction site.
Joint training programmes conducted with Pakistani agencies have provided technical education to more than 600 young people from nearby areas.
These initiatives are designed to prepare local residents for employment opportunities linked to the dam’s construction and associated infrastructure activities.
Training in technical and vocational fields can help young people develop practical skills, improve their employment prospects and participate in large-scale development projects.
The initiatives also support local capacity building by ensuring that infrastructure development creates opportunities beyond the immediate construction workforce.
Diamer-Basha Dam to Require 18.7 Million Cubic Metres of Concrete
The scale of the Diamer-Basha Dam highlights the need for a large and technically skilled workforce.
According to the project information reported by Gwadar Pro, construction of the dam is expected to require approximately 18.7 million cubic metres of concrete.
The project involves extensive engineering and construction activities, creating demand for professionals and workers in civil engineering, surveying, quality assurance, safety management and other technical fields.
WAPDA identifies the Diamer-Basha Dam as a major hydropower and water-storage project on the Indus River, near Chilas, at the boundary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The dam is designed as a 272-metre-high roller-compacted concrete structure. Once completed, it will have a gross water-storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet and an installed electricity-generation capacity of 4,500 megawatts.
According to WAPDA, the project is expected to generate approximately 18,097 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually. <Cite refs={[“turn560680search0″,”turn560680search1″,”turn560680search12”]}/>
Pakistan-China Cooperation Supports Technical Capacity Building
The latest recruitment of Pakistani graduates highlights the employment and skills-development opportunities associated with Pakistan-China infrastructure cooperation.
WAPDA is responsible for executing the Diamer-Basha Dam Project, while PowerChina is part of the joint venture undertaking major construction work.
Beyond infrastructure development, cooperation between the organisations also involves technical training, professional mentorship and opportunities for Pakistani workers to gain experience in large-scale engineering projects.
The Young Talents Internship Programme provides a practical example of how international project partnerships can contribute to local workforce development.
With more construction activities ahead, continued investment in technical education and professional training will remain important for preparing Pakistani graduates and workers to participate in the country’s major infrastructure projects.
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