Pakistan's forex remittances can be increased four times, besides overcoming the extremism issue by promoting technical training/education which has so far been neglected. Executive Director National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Zulfiqar Cheema while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training said that the institution is facing capacity issues, inadequate funding, weak links with industry and shortage of international recognised training institutions in the country.
The committee met with Raheela Magsi in the chair here on Wednesday to review the performance of NAVTTC. Cheema said that technical & vocational sector was neglected for the last 55 years in Pakistan; however NAVTCC was established in 2006 in the federal capital for policy making and cooperation between the technical institutions of the center and provinces.
He informed the committee that as many as 3500 TEVTA schools were working through out the country. He said that they have taken help from the technical education experts for reforms in the sector and formulation of modern curriculum to meet market demand. Zulfiqar Cheema said that NAVTTC has accredited 122 national technical and training institutions on merit basis. NAVTTC, he said, had held two phases of training session in which 25 thousand per session students were given technical training adding that in the 3rd phase which will start on March 3 the institution will train 50 thousand students with technical skills according to the market demand.
He told the committee "we are in contact with the international countries to seek their demand in different fields, so that we can produce professionals who can meet their demand. He informed the committee that NAVTTC is taking help from GIZ, City & Guild and other organisation to train our youths with technical skills.
He said around 200,000 to 250,000 students are being trained throughout the country with vocational education which was very low as compared to our youth numbers. We had a skill competition for boys and girls throughout the country to generate the interest of students and parents in the sector; he said and added it will also create job opportunities for the youth.
Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan said that job opportunities were very important and in this regard NAVTCC has to convince chamber of commerce and industries so that the skilled youth can emerge in the relevant sector. Senator Nauman Wazir Khattak briefing the committee said that NAVTTC was only working on theory work and added no practical work was seen on the ground.
He said the government has to allocate a hefty amount in the technical and professional education rather than to fund higher education. The country needs technicians and professionals in the field of technical and vocational. Senator Nauman informed the committee that since last 6 to 10 years the donor organisations have provided 65 million euro aid to Pakistan for setting up curriculum to meet demand of international market but unfortunately the past governments failed to utilise the funds.
The committee said that the country was in dire need of technical professionals rather than any other education field and suggested for its help to NAVTTC for the promotion of technical and vocational sector. The committee felt the need of a uniform policy through which the federal and provinces can work together for a national cause. The committee said that there should be a technical university at provincial level and an apprentice centre at divisional level with professional teachers for uplifting the technical sector.
The committee suggested that Pak-Sweden Technical Institute Karachi would also be uplifted with professional teachers and number of students there would also be increased. The committee asked the ED NAVTTC to start agriculture courses in institution as Pakistan was a major agriculture state.
The ED NAVTTC said that 65 percent or around 80 million of the populations is young people and it is not possible to give government jobs to all of them, which is resulting in poverty and unemployment. The only way to find the solution is to generate skilled people. Work has been started to bring the curriculum at par with the international standard. It is an important sector but facing several problems. About 80 percent people training is being given in factories, however here in Pakistan we lack the linkage between institutions and industries. We have no board, but now a board would be established in Islamabad.
Zulfiqar Cheema said that soon training will be started in the agricultural sector so that hundreds of youth are provided with required skills. He further added that this initiative will not only boost economic growth of the country but also would go a long way in reducing poverty through making youth skilful in this sector and enabling them to earn their livelihood. He said that the addition of agricultural experts and trained youth would increase the agricultural productivity manifold.
He further said NAVTTC is facing several issue including deficiency of training institutes of international level, capacity/commitment issues of training providers, inadequate funding sources for TVET sector, shortage of quality instructors, quality of trainees and weak linkage between industry/training providers. He further pointed out at dearth of updated equipment, shortage of maintenance facilities and obsolete machinery.
However ED said that the NAVTTC has objectives of selection of best of the best institutes, increasing number of trainees, imparting training in marketable skills, improving quality of training, ensuring employability and marketability, international linkages. Further NAVTTC be accredited with more international organisations, establishment of centers of excellence at divisional levels, establishment of Skill Universities in each province, imparting Competency Based Training (CBT), recognition of Prior Learning (RPL): certifying Informal Workers (Trained through Ustad-Shagird), expansion of NSIS Cell to provincial & divisional level, establishment of Federal WET Board, National Accreditation Council, credibility of NAVTTC certificates to be enhanced, establishment of Sector Skill Councils and modern Apprenticeship System to be achieved.
Cheema further said that new initiatives including establishment of Job Placement Center & Vocational, guidance desk, skill competitions at zonal, provincial and national levels and job Fairs in industrial hubs/big cities have been taken.
The committee observed that more focus has been given on theory and directed to adopt German model by spending three days in lecture halls and the rest of three days in field/industry to focus on practical work. The committee recommended NAVTTC to prepare a briefing and this committee would brief Prime Minister on the issues, the institute is facing and to make it more effective to produce skilled and technical people.
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