PEC Expands Graduate Engineer Trainee Program with 15 New MoUs in Karachi -

PAKISTAN – Graduate Engineer Trainee Placement Program

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with an additional 15 organizations in Karachi under its flagship Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) Placement Program, further expanding the nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening practical training for young engineers.

Previously, PEC had entered into partnerships with 14 leading organizations in Islamabad, bringing the total number of partner organizations under the GET Placement Program to 29. The program was launched under the leadership of PEC Chairman Engr. Waseem Nazir as part of the Council’s broader effort to modernize engineering education and professional development in Pakistan.

Chairman PEC, Engr. Waseem Nazir

The MoU signing ceremony was held at a local hotel in Karachi and was led by Chairman PEC Engr. Waseem Nazir along with his team. Former PEC Chairman Engr. Qadir Shah, senior engineers, and representatives of the partner organizations were also present at the event.

GET Partners’ Views

Often described as a “house job for engineers,” the GET Placement Program is designed to bridge the long-standing gap between academic learning and industry requirements by providing structured, hands-on professional training to fresh engineering graduates.

The newly signed partner organizations include Yunus Textile Mills Limited, Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works Ltd., Karachi Port Trust (KPT), Pakistan Airports Authority, Pakistan Cables Limited, Pakistan Machine Tool Factory, Naval Research & Development Institute, Inbox Business Technologies Limited, Harbin Electric International, Dewan Cement Limited, Alsons Industries (Pvt.) Ltd., Cynergico, DHA City Karachi, H. Nizam Din & Sons Ltd., and MAK Power International (Pvt.) Ltd.

Engr. Waseem Nazir with GET partners

Engineering graduates and professionals have long emphasized the need for such a structured training mechanism, noting that academic qualifications alone are insufficient to prepare young engineers for real-world challenges. The GET Program addresses this concern through a six-month training cycle, comprising five months of on-the-job field exposure and one month dedicated to soft skills development, mirroring the house-job model successfully implemented in the medical profession.

Addressing the ceremony, Chairman PEC Engr. Waseem Nazir said the initiative would enable graduates to transition smoothly from classroom theory to workplace practice.

“This program is about turning knowledge into competence,” he said. “Our goal is to produce industry-ready engineers who are confident, skilled, and capable of contributing effectively to Pakistan’s national development.”

He added that similar partnerships have already been established in other parts of the country and that PEC plans to further expand the program nationwide.

Representatives of the partner organizations welcomed PEC’s renewed focus on practical training, describing the GET initiative as a timely and forward-looking effort to align academic output with industry needs. They stressed that Pakistan’s industrial and economic growth depends on engineers who are not only theoretically sound but also technically proficient and adaptable.

One industry representative remarked that programs like GET could “reshape the professional culture of engineering in Pakistan,” provided the process remains transparent, consistent, and results-oriented.

For the thousands of young engineers entering an increasingly competitive job market each year, the Graduate Engineer Trainee Program represents both an opportunity and a challenge. If implemented effectively, it has the potential to become a sustainable national model for professional development—where education meets application and potential is transformed into performance. – ER