The Technical Education and Vocation Training Authority will establish 20 centers of excellence across the province to overcome the acute shortage of highly trained and skilled manpower while international donors will provide latest machinery worth 189 million dollar to these centers, said Ali Salman Siddiqui, TEVTA chairman, at a meeting in Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) here on Wednesday which was also attended by retire Maj Shahnawaz Badar Chairman Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC).
He said that current apprenticeship law was introduced in 1962 which has become outdated and is not compatible with the current needs of the industrial sector. He said that draft of new apprenticeship law has been finalized and after its enactment by the Punjab Assembly, TEVTA will transform its entire institutes on the latest apprenticeship model. Regarding proposed sector skill councils, he said that these councils will be consistent with their specific sector individuals and hence would be able to redress their genuine issues on top priority basis. He said that GIZ will also help us in producing ten thousand master trainers. He said that FCCI should finalize its sector skill councils positively within two weeks so that its problems could be resolved within the next six months paving way to start training courses in that particular sector as early as possible. Regarding technical universities, he said that four universities have been established while another technical university could also be established in Faisalabad. “However for this purpose positive nod from Punjab Assembly will be required”, he added. Mr. Ali Salman said that TEVTA has evolved a new strategy for skill eco-system to produce skill manpower by removing missing links between industry and training institutions. The skill council will be established under this system which will provide Competency Based Training Assessment (CBTA) courses. The diploma holders of these courses could get jobs not only within the country but also in other 130 countries where this course is acknowledged. He said that Faisalabad will have a center of Excellence while a surgical center could be established in Sialkot according to their specific skills.
