The Citizens Foundation (TCF) and the Citi Foundation expanded their partnership for the sixth year to implement the ‘21st Century Employability and Digital Skills for the Youth Programme’. Under the collaboration, Citi Foundation provided a one-year grant of $175,000 to support the continuity of quality intermediate learning for TCF college students to help them transition to tertiary education and build technical skills for the 21st Century economy.
Secondary students from low-income families in Pakistan face immense barriers to transition to intermediate and tertiary education because of irregular classes in Government institutions and the unaffordability of expensive tutoring and transportation. Students eventually transitioning to universities often lack technical skills critical to surviving in a 21st Century economy.
“Despite the many opportunities today’s world provides for the younger generation to succeed, these opportunities are not easily accessible for the youth from low-income families, said Ahmed Bozai, CCO Citi Pakistan. With Citi Foundation’s support, TCF allows students to develop technical skills through interventions that bring the world of work to life. This collaboration reflects Citi’s belief that with the right skills, young people can contribute to their communities, setting them on a pathway to future success in the country.”
TCF, with the support of Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress initiative, established its first college in 2016, providing some of its brightest students with quality intermediate education and a well-rounded learning experience that helps them achieve competitive academic results and builds employability and digital skills.
Speaking about the collaboration with Citi Foundation, Hammad Khalid, Head of TCF College, shared, “Citi Foundation has been an instrumental partner in helping TCF pave the way for academic excellence, increase access to opportunities and build pathways for TCF College students, especially for women from low-income backgrounds. Citi Foundation has helped impact the lives of over 1,100 young men and women, and their continued support will impact many more. On behalf of the leadership team, faculty and the student body, we express our deepest gratitude to Citi Foundation for helping create a world of possibilities for these wonderful children.”
In addition to a rigorous academic curriculum, TCF College offers its students 200 hours of self-development programmes to build and enhance critical technical skills needed in today’s job market. It also organises year-round activities and workshops to enrich students’ learning experience.
TCF College consistently ranks among the top 10 colleges in Pakistan in board exams and has an 80% transition rate to tertiary admissions. In the academic year, 2021-22, over 150 TCF College Alumni made it to some of the best universities in Pakistan. In the same year, the first batch of TCF College graduated from universities and saw a brilliant uptake in the job market.
About The Citizens Foundation:
The Citizens Foundation (TCF) is a strong advocate of the belief that a truly informed and educated society forms the foundation of a progressive state and instils in its citizens the ability to adapt and evolve with changing times. It is a non-profit organization set up in 1995 by a group of citizens who wanted to bring about positive social change through education. 28 years later, TCF is now one of Pakistan’s leading organizations in the field of education for the less privileged. The TCF model focuses on providing quality education through purpose-built schools located in the heart of Pakistan’s urban slums and rural communities. The organization strives to ensure gender balance in its classrooms. To magnify its impact, improve enrolment and quality of education, TCF is now adopting Government schools across Pakistan. www.tcf.org.pk
Social Media Handles:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TCFPAK/
Instagram: @tcfpak
Twitter: @TCFPak
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGmlICVUptpBZPtXrTtZ_yQ
About Citi Foundation and Pathways to Progress
Citi Foundation promotes economic progress and financial inclusion of people in low-income communities around the world. It works with multiple partners to design and implement innovative solutions that empower vulnerable groups (with a specific focus on youth) to build brighter futures for them and their communities. In 2014, Citi Foundation launched Pathways to Progress, a job skills-building initiative aimed at addressing the global challenge of youth unemployment. Since its launch, Citi Foundation has invested over $230 million globally in workforce preparation.
