NAVTEC starts consultations on Skilling Pakistan
Staff report

ISLAMABAD—National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) has begun wide ranging consultations with its stakeholders around the country on Skilling Pakistan: A Vision for the National Skills Strategy 2008-2012.
The consultative of process will involve presenting the Vision to its stakeholder - employers, trainees, training providers and the government - around which discussion will be generated and consensus built. Based on inputs received during this phase of consultation and strategy development, detailed implementation plans will be developed.
NAVTEC Executive Director Muhammad Athar Tahir told journalists at an interactive session with media at the Commission’s office here on Tuesday. NAVTEC Director General Muhammad Riaz Khan was also present.
In Lahore, Athar Tahir said, four meetings were held with different groups of stakeholder, who were briefed in detail about the current state of skills development in Pakistan and the need for reform.
The ED said the Vision is based on an initial review of the existing system of skills development in Pakistan, a study of several international systems and consultation with stakeholder.
It represented the first phase of the formulation of the National Skills strategy, 2008-2012, he said and added that it proposed various features of reform which would lead to the development of a quality skills development system.
Skills development is strongly associated with economic growth and importantly, social development. Education and training empower individuals by enabling them to access employment, incomes, and therefore, to escape poverty and marginalisation, he maintained.
Developing the skills of Pakistan’s workforce is becoming increasingly important. Changes in technology, the emergence of global markets for products and services international competition, the emphasis on attracting foreign direct investment and new forms of business organisation and production, have created a demand for new, diversified, industry relevant skills and knowledge.
To meet these challenges Pakistan government has made skills development a political priority and ‘Skilling Pakistan’ describes how this priority can be realised to ensure a system that provides relevant skills for industrial and economic development improves access, equity and employability, and assuring quality.
NAVTEC Director (Planning) Ms. Frida Khan made presentation describing each of the proposed reforms and took questions from the audience. Input from the stakeholder was recorded by NAVTEC’s Director Coordination, Muhammad Saleem Ahmad Ranjha and NAVTEC’s Research Officer, Muhammad Azhar.
General public was also invited to read and download ‘Skilling Pakistan: A vision for the National Skills strategy 2008-2012’ from the NAVTEC web site www-navtec.gov.pk and send their comments either by post or online.