Check the NAVTTC Matric-Tech Program: 8 Trades in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan

The Matric-Tech Program is a federal pilot that adds a technical stream to public schools and colleges in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. NAVTTC lists 8 trades: IoT and Data Coding, Industrial Electrician, Graphic Designing, Plumbing and Solar Water Heating, Fashion Designing, Professional Chef, Hair and Beauty, and Tourism Expert. There is no public application form yet. You enrol through a participating school.

Parents of children in Class 8 or Class 9 keep asking if this is a real route to a skill and a Matric certificate. We read NAVTTC's Matric-Tech page and its project document (PC-I) on 14 October 2026. This guide says what is confirmed, what is old and what NAVTTC has not published.

Matric-Tech is a third stream beside science and arts

NAVTTC calls it "a third stream of education". The aim is to bring technical and vocational training into regular schooling, so a student learns a trade while studying for the Matric certificate. It is a pilot, run with FBISE and local education departments.

The partners named on the page are the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE), the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE), and the TVET and general education departments of AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. The pilot covers public sector schools and colleges only.

The project document explains the idea in more detail. It says students would earn a formal Matric-Tech qualification recognised by FBISE, AJK's board and other boards, with IBCC registering the equivalence. It also says the qualification would stand equal to Level IV of NAVTTC's skills framework, the NVQF.

Eight trades are on offer in four areas

The pilot runs in four areas: Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. NAVTTC names eight market-driven trades. Which school gets which trade is not published on the page we read, so ask the school or the directorate.

The second column is our plain description, not NAVTTC's wording. The trade names are NAVTTC's own.

The PC-I on the page is from 2019 and its numbers may be out of date

NAVTTC's page links a project document dated 17 December 2019. It planned Rs 315 million over three financial years and labs in 14 Islamabad and 16 AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan schools. Those figures belong to the 2019 plan. The 2026 pilot may differ, and NAVTTC does not say.

The 2019 document is still useful. It says students would enrol after Class 8, on the same pattern as general education, and study both formal subjects and a trade. After Class 10 they could join an intermediate programme or a skills course, or look for work.

We did not find the number of schools, seats or students in the 2026 pilot. We also did not find a fee, an age limit or an admission date. We do not state any, because we could not read them at source.

Parents can take four steps now

There is no online form on NAVTTC's page, only a "register your interest" box for name, phone and city. The practical route is to ask your child's school, or the Federal Directorate of Education or the provincial department, whether it takes part.

1. Check that your school is a public school in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, AJK or Gilgit-Baltistan.
2. Ask the head teacher whether the school is in the Matric-Tech pilot and which trade it offers.
3. Ask which class the trade starts in and whether it leads to an FBISE or local board certificate.
4. Leave your details in the interest box on NAVTTC's Matric-Tech page, or call NAVTTC on 0800-88866.
5. Get any promise about equivalence or recognition in writing before you move a child.

Do not pay anyone for a "Matric-Tech seat". NAVTTC publishes no seat fee, and our note on fake online job offers lists the signs of a paid-seat scam.

Older students have other NAVTTC routes

Matric-Tech is for school-age students. If you already hold Matric and want a skill, NAVTTC has separate free routes for ages 18 to 35, and a certificate route for people who already work in a trade.

Adults with years of work but no paper can follow the steps to get a NAVTTC skill certificate without classes. Young people who want a free online course can look at DigiSkills batches.

Common questions about the Matric-Tech Program

What is the Matric-Tech Program?

It is a federal pilot that adds a technical stream to public schools and colleges. Students learn one of eight trades alongside general education, with FBISE and local departments as partners.

Where does it run?

NAVTTC lists Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan. It does not list individual schools on the page we read.

Which trades are offered?

There are eight: IoT and Data Coding, Industrial Electrician, Graphic Designing and Media Production, Plumbing and Solar Water Heating, Fashion Designing and Dress Making, Professional Chef, Hair and Beauty Services, and Tourism Expert.

Is there a fee or an application form?

We found neither. NAVTTC's page has only an interest box. Ask your school and do not pay a stranger for a seat.

Will the certificate count as Matric?

The 2019 project document says it would be a formal Matric-Tech qualification recognised by FBISE and other boards. Confirm this with the school and the board for the 2026 pilot before you rely on it.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. The trades, areas and partners come from NAVTTC's Matric-Tech page. The recognition, enrolment and cost details come from the PC-I document linked there, dated 17 December 2019, and may not match the 2026 pilot. We found no 2026 list of schools, seats, fees or dates. Check with NAVTTC before you decide.