Ministry of Labour and Manpower has appointed prominent industrialist and businessman of Islamabad Mian Akram Farid Chairman, Skill Development Council (SDC) in place of Imtiaz Rastgar whose 10-year long tenure ended on 1st October 2010. SDC, CEO Mohammad Riaz told Business Recorder that Mian Akram Farid, a former President Islamabad Chamber and Industry (ICCI) has taken over charge of his office and presided over the 7th Board meeting.
It may be added that constituted by the Ministry of Labour, Manpower & Overseas Pakistanis, Government of Pakistan, Skill Development Council (SDC) Islamabad operates on Public-Private partnership. Active participation of Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and Private Sector Businessmen have created the success story of the Skill Development Council, Islamabad.
Its aim is to identify, develop and arrange Vocational, Technical/Professional and IT Training Programmes, which are flexible, demand driven and cost effective with maximum participation from the Employers. SDC, Islamabad also offers tailor-made courses, according to the customer's needs. It conducts Training Needs Assessment Surveys and schedules its training programmes accordingly.
Riaz said SDC, Islamabad has established its Alumni Association to provide a common platform to its participants of different courses so that they may interact and cooperate with each other for sharing their experiences and solving problems with mutual discussions.
He said SDC had organised 74 training courses under its in house training programme at its premises from July 2009 to June 2010 to fill the skills gap and training needs of the country. In these 556 participant including students, mid career professionals and employees of various organisations including Air Weapon Complex, KRL, State Bank of Pakistan, PAF, NESCOM, PAEC, NUST, POF Wah, HMC, had successfully completed courses. Since its inception SDC has trained more than 1,500 professionals.
The Council also offered 83 training courses for 1001 participants with collaboration of its partner institutes for boosting skills and knowledge of those already in employment and those about to enter the market and take the students up to the level of working with their own projects and with professional level work flow by covering important areas like computer and IT, Technical and Vocational and Management.
Addressing the Board meeting the new SDC chairman Mian Farid underlined the importance of skilled workers in economic development of Pakistan. He said that a large number of them are needed not only within the country but their export to other countries can bring much needed foreign exchange.
The outgoing SDC Chairman Imtiaz Rastgar, says skill development in developing countries has enhanced industries with improved contribution to GDP and taken industry to the next level of development. In Pakistan, with abundant human development, the use of modern techniques will help the industry to improve their production.