Stronger Bonds versus Weaker Perceptions: Job Opportunities to be Created by CPEC and the Pakistan Workforce's Potential to Benefit

Abstract

China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an amalgam that addresses employability in Pakistan. The perception of creating millions of jobs in the next few years is vital for strengthening the relationship between China and Pakistan. This economic corridor aims to enhance job opportunities, which may increase the general public's education level and standard of living. This paper aims to estimate the perception of the employability impact of Bahawalpur's solar power project and Sahiwal's coal power plant within a radius of 15km2. This study measures the employability impact perceived by the workers through qualitative and descriptive procedures. The data is collected from employees of both the power plants. This study contributes to the existing literature, explains the negative and positive perceptions regarding CPEC projects, and is concluded in support of CPEC and suggests that uplifting to technical skills of the local labor force should be of utmost priority in such types of projects. The study also suggests developing a linkage between education institutes and industry to make the required skill set available to provide more abundant opportunities to the local employees.