Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took a significant step on Wednesday, towards enhancing technical and vocational education nationwide by ordering the establishment of the Pakistan Skill Company and Pakistan Skill Development Fund.
This initiative aims to provide better employment opportunities for the country’s workforce both domestically and abroad.
Chairing a high-level meeting to review the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development along with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), the Prime Minister directed comprehensive reforms within both organizations.
In line with his directives, the immediate establishment of the Pakistan Skill Development Fund was announced by the federal government, underscoring the government’s commitment to advancing technical and vocational training.
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized the need to elevate NAVTTC to provide top-tier technical and vocational training to the youth workforce, ensuring globally recognized certifications across all fields. He stressed the importance of aligning technical training programs with international standards and fostering cooperation between federal and provincial institutions to enhance Pakistan’s technical manpower.
Furthermore, he advocated for the development of a coordinated database of Pakistani workers in collaboration with Nadra, NAVTTC, and provincial institutions, emphasizing the establishment of an integrated system to regulate manpower equipped with world-class technical skills.
In addition to promoting transparency and meritocracy in the deployment of community welfare attaches in Pakistani missions abroad, Prime Minister Shehbaz ordered reforms to the licensing regime for companies employing skilled Pakistanis abroad. He emphasized the identification and accountability of individuals and entities involved in defrauding people and causing financial losses.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on NAVTTC’s efforts to enhance vocational and technical training in Pakistan. NAVTTC aims to train 60,000 individuals in 2024, with plans to scale up to 0.6 million in the next three years following these reforms.
The meeting highlighted NAVTTC’s initiatives to exchange information on employment opportunities and required skills from foreign countries, as well as efforts to obtain data on manpower needs from local industries. It was also noted that NAVTTC has made certification from internationally renowned institutes mandatory for male and female students to uphold international vocational and technical training standards.
