A largely ignored way to address the needs of rising youth bulge and youth unemployment in the country is through TVET. Over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30 in Pakistan, and technical and vocational education and training could provide a means of tackling youth unemployment in the country. However, the kind of status it enjoys does the opposite. While things have started changing in the developed world, TVET is largely seen to have lower status in developing countries like Pakistan where it could actually be a great tool in combating youth unemployment.
Apart from the stigma attached to technical education and vocational training, the domestic TVET setup faces the challenges of funding and governance. Lack of funds with the government does little, and most of the training institutes are in the public sector. Similarly, the existing TVET system needs to be revamped to meet global competition and requirements. Also there is a need for mindset shift. Instead of taking it as a cost, skills development should be considered as an investment by businesses as highlighted by Jawad Khan, CEO PSDF in a recent interview published in Business Recorder on January 18, 2019.
Funding balance needs to be fixed with the help of the private sector that needs to share costs with the government. The active role of the corporate sector is necessary for providing the right skills for the labour market. At the same time, it is important that the teachers and trainers are well-equipped and well-trained with industry experience and needs of various sectors. At least, such matching studies need to be undertaken. The list of challenges is huge and recommendations aplenty.
The importance of vocational training and skills development has quadrupled with CPEC taking the country’s centre stage. Dr Ishrat Husain says in his article ‘Policy Imperatives for CPEC’: “If there is one lasting legacy for which CPEC should be remembered it is this investment in producing skilled and trained technical manpower of different levels of expertise.” One of the benefits of CPEC projects for the country is the training and development of manpower. However, the authorities and the stakeholders need to realise that they need to grasp this low hanging fruit by getting the manpower ready for these projects before China has no option but to inundate all available jobs and employment opportunities with its skilled workers.
While there a lot on paper and writing, whether it’s the new TVET Policy, National Vocational Qualification Framework, the sector analysis or industry handbook (Pakistan is usually great in terms of drafting legislation and regulations), TVET sector lacks the conversion of all these into actionable events. It shows that acknowledgment of the issue does exist; however, it is the will that has kept vocational training and education a neglected child. Fortunately, the present government has been showing keen interest in investing in the country’s human capital through education and training. For an in-depth analysis on the entire TVET sector, its issues and development challenges, and its progress, stay tuned
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