Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) in collaboration with SME Business Support Fund will start short and long term courses to train entrepreneurs, craftsmen, cutters, designers in the field of Gems and Jewellery sector. The training courses would include six-week and long-term degree/certification courses of up to two-year duration.
About two thousand people would be trained annually also using the internet based distance learning system. MoU in this regard has been signed between TEVTA and SME Business Support Fund here at TEVTA Secretariat. Chairperson TEVTA, Saeed Ahmad Alvi and Chief Executive Officer SME Business Support Fund, Syed Saquib Mohyuddin signed the MoU. Other officers of both the organisations were also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion CEO BSF, Syed Saquib Mohyuddin said that foreign investment of 20 million dollars is expected to come in Gems and Jewellery sector. He said first institute of Gems and Jewellery would be established at Government College of Taxila with the support of TEVTA. He said that courses would be started with the collaboration of The Gemological Institute of America. He also said in three years we would increase our export of gems from 1.3 million dollars to 5 million dollars.
Saquib said that in two to three months we will launch portal of gems and jewellery of Pakistan besides that it is expected that Venture Capital Fund for gems and jewellery of Pakistan will be launched in America. He also said that 20 to 30 thousands jobs would be created in the country.
CEO BSF said that we should focus on value addition, export potential and employment. He stressed upon the need of collaboration between the two institutes and benefits from each other's strengths. Chairperson TEVTA, Saeed Ahmed Alvi said that the collaboration is in line with the Chief Minister Punjab's vision to impart demand driven technical and vocational training to the youth and help them gain modern skills for employability and self-employment.
While giving the details of the agreement Alvi said that TEVTA and BSF have agreed to jointly work for capacity/capability building and skill development of SMEs in the Gems and Jewellery sector for value addition that can upscale training and make this sector internationally competitive.
He also said that BSF would arrange machinery and other equipments alongwith operating manpower and trainers. BSF will provide curricula of international standards, Teaching-Learning-Resources (TLRs) and internationally acceptable certification and accreditation.
While TEVTA will provide training centres at a place mutually agreed upon on free of cost basis for provision of training and installation of machinery provided by BSF. TEVTA will partially pick up the recurring costs.