Ten young Pakistani graduates have secured jobs at the Diamer-Basha Dam Project after completing a six-month paid internship under the second Young Talents Internship Programme, jointly organised by Pakistan's Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and PowerChina.

According to a PowerChina notification issued on November 6, the graduation ceremony was held at the Diamer-Basha Dam Project camp, marking the successful completion of the second batch of the programme.

During their six-month internships, the graduates gained practical experience in construction, quality control, workplace safety and surveying. They worked under the one-on-one mentorship of Chinese engineers, receiving technical guidance and exposure to construction practices at a major hydropower project. All ten participants were subsequently hired for project positions.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to develop local technical capacity alongside infrastructure construction. More than 8,000 Pakistani workers have been recruited for the Diamer-Basha Dam Project, while two internship cohorts have trained and employed a total of 14 local young people.

In addition, joint skills development programmes conducted with Pakistani agencies have provided technical training to more than 600 young people from nearby communities, helping prepare local workers for employment opportunities associated with the project.

The scale of construction also highlights the project's demand for technical expertise and skilled labour. The dam's planned construction involves approximately 18.7 million cubic metres of concrete, creating opportunities for workers and engineers across different areas of project development.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China