Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passed the Select Committee proposed Bill for the establishment of Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) with changes in its administrative structure. The Bill was taken into consideration by the provincial assembly on January 15. But, due to strong reservations and demands of the opposition benches it was referred to the Select Committee of the house. The amended draft prepared by the Select committee was adopted by the house the other day.
The objective of the legislation is to establish the KP TEVTA to impart such technical education and vocational skills through institutions under its administrative and regulatory control, which is based on syllabi acceptable internationally and is accredited with national and international institutions, is responsive to the market needs and provides national and internationally acceptable hands on experience to its trainees for the purpose.
The Act that may be called KP TEVTA Act, 2015 would be applied to all public sector technical institutions and vocational training centres except colleges of commerce, business administration or management sciences in the province. It would come into force at once and deemed to have been taken with effect from December 15, 2014.
After the notification of the establishment of TEVTA in the official Gazette, TEVTA would, except colleges of commerce, business administration or management sciences, take over the administrative and regulatory control over all colleges, institutes and centres by whatever name called, imparting technical education and vocational trainings and which are working under the administrative and regulatory control of Directorate General of Technical Education and Manpower Training Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, immediately before existence of the authority.
The authority would be a corporate body having perpetual succession, and a common seal with the power to acquire and dispose of property both movable and immovable and would by the said name sue and sued. The authority may have head office at Peshawar and may have such other regional offices at such places in the province as the government may deem appropriate.
The Board of Directors in discharging its function would be guided by such direction as government may from time to time give and would be accountable to government for its performance.
On commencement of this Act, the Directorate, would cease to be an attached department of Industries, Commerce and Technical Education Department and would be deemed to be the head of the TEVTA under the control of TEVTA. The Commerce Wing of the Directorate would be attached with Higher Education Department for the disposal of its official business.
The employees working in the colleges, institutions or centres taken over by the authority under shall continue to work in the said colleges, institutions or centres, as the case may be.
On the commencement of this Act, all the civil servants serving in Directorate or in the colleges, institutions or centres taken over by the TEVTA, would be given an option either to continue to service as civil servant or may oft for the employment of the authority. The option should be exercised within a period of ninety days after the commencement of the Act. Those employees, who do not opt for their absorption in TEVTA, would continue to be governed and regulated in accordance with Civil Servants Act, 1973 and rules and regulations there under.
Subject to sub-section (5), the service matters of TEVTA employees recruited under TEVTA Act, 2015 would be regulated in accordance with regulations made this Act, whereas the service matters of the existing Civil Servants in TEVTA would be governed under the Civil Servant Act, 1973 and rules and regulations framed there under.
Notwithstanding, anything contained in any other law for the time being in force, the powers of transfer and posting of all the employees whether recruited under this Act or opted for Civil Service under sub-section (3), in the head office and in various institutions or centres would be with the Board of Directors provided that it may delegate its power under this section to such class of office as may be prescribed by regulations.
All assets and liabilities including furniture, fixture, machinery, vehicles etc of the Directorate would be transferred to TEVTA and ownership of such assets would vest in the government: Provided that any assets which have been procured for colleges or commerce, business administration or management sciences, would remained the assets of he said institutions.
The administration, management and general control of the TEVTA and its affairs may vest in the Board of Directors, which may exercise all powers and do all acts and things to further the objective of the TEVTA. The Government may be notification constitute the Board of Directors, which may consist of a Chairperson, a Vice Chairperson and such other members.
The Chief Minister, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be the Chairperson of the board. The Vice Chairperson would be appointed by government, from private sector having a graduate degree from recognised university in the field of engineering/technology having twenty years active industrial management experience and may not be less than forty-five (45) years and not more than sixty-five (65) years of age.
The members may be included, secretaries, industries, commerce and technical education department, Finance Department, Planning and Development Department and Labour Department; Chairman, Standing Committee on Technical Education, Chairperson of the Provincial Commission on the Status of Women, a representative of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), a representative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) Industrialist Associations, Peshawar, Hattar, Gadoon Industrial Estate, large scale manufacturers, skill development council, Peshawar, private sector technical and vocational training institutions, Directorate of Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, Overseas Employment Promoters Agencies, All Pakistan Contractors Association, President, Industrial Association D.I.Khan, a representative of Overseas Employment Promoters Agencies, a chairperson of the institute management committee, Principal, Government Technical Institution to be nominated by the TEVTA and Managing Director.
The members would be nominated by their respective registered associations and in case of more than one registered associations of an organisation, government should nominate the member.
The term of the office of the Chairperson and members may be three years; provided that one third of the members, other than chairperson, may cease to be members after completion of two years, in whose place new members may be appointed for a period of three years in the same manner as was applied in the case of out-going members. The names of such out-going members may be decided by a draw.
The Vice Chairperson would ceased to hold office on attaining the age of sixty-five (65) years or expiry of the terms whichever is earlier, or may resign from his office by tendering resignation to government.
The government may remove the Vice Chairperson and members on the grounds of inefficiency or misconduct after giving him an opportunity or being heard.
Any vacancy became vacant due to death, resignation or removal of the Vice Chairperson and members would be filled in by government through appointment of another person as Vice Chairperson and such appointee would hold such office for the unexpired term of his predecessor.
The Vice Chairperson would assist the Board in adopting a vision for quality improvement in technical education and vocational training in addition to help the TEVTA in strategizing options for self sustainability, linkages with the market for training needs assessment, gainful employability of skilled workforce and optimal utilisation of the resources existing with the TEVTA.
The meetings of the board would be held as and when required, but once at least in a quarter, at the time and place as the Chairperson may determine. The Chairperson would preside over a meeting of the board and in the absence of the chairperson the Vice Chairperson would preside over the meetings of the board. Presence of fourteen members would constitute the quorum for a meeting.
The powers and functions of the board may be included to set up new institutions to offer such subjects or courses as demanded by the market needs; develop reliable mechanism for ascertaining need of the national and international market for specific skills to be imparted through institutions under administrative and regulatory control of TEVTA, take steps to up-grade teaching abilities, skills and pedagogy of teaching staff; develop mechanism to up-grade teaching machinery or equipment to the extent required by trainings of internationally acceptable standards; enter into commercial ventures by promoting public private partnerships; promote entrepreneurship and self-employment, take steps to make TEVTA system financially independent of government; for the purpose of attaining financial independence, the board may outsource any of its services or institute in such a manner, as may be prescribed by the rules made under this Act.
It would also create objective linkages with Institute Management Committees for the purpose of market oriented quality trainings; allocate its funds on annual basis for infrastructure development and other required incidental expenditure in furtherance to the objective of improving quality of technical education and gainful employment of the trained workforce; take measures, including the allocation of funds, for the establishment of scholarships and stipends for students of and training of teachers abroad and within the country; regulate quality control for implementation of skills standards, syllabi, trade testing and certification of vocational and technical training institutions; approve the development projects up-to a ceiling fixed and notified by the government; establish institution-industry linkages; generate funds by introducing or arranging special courses by opening service outlets; exercise and perform powers and functions which are needed to improve quality of technical education and vocational training for gainful employment or trained youth in accordance with rules and such other powers and functions in the field of technical education and vocational training as may be assigned by government.
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