LAHORE: Participants of the Punjab Skills Summit of 2018 emphasised on Wednesday the importance of technical education and vocational training (TVET) and urged the government and industry to join hands for producing skilled workforce.

The Punjab Industries, Commerce and Investment Department (ICID) with the T VET Sector Support Programme has organised the summit 2. A number of industrialists, trainers, government officials and representatives of international development partners were present.

The second phase of the TVET Sector Programme was launched in January 2017 for another Eve years to improve governance andprivate sector`s participation in the TVET sector for increasing quality skilled workers.

The programme aims at establishing five centers of competence for TVET teachers` training, training 25 chief master trainers and 100 master trainers, training 3,800 TVET teachers, 1,500 assessors and 500 principals of public and private institutes, managing accreditation of 200 TVET institutes, establishing three sector sl(ills councils, implementing 60 new qualifications for the Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT&A), training 15,500 men and women through CBT&A, issuing national certificates to 15,000 skilled people from the informal sector through the recognition of prior learning, establishing employer-led institute management committees in500 TVET institutes, and implementing the national TVE T policy at federal and provincial/regional level.

ICID secretary Nadeemur Rehman said the government had set a challenging target of creation of 10 million jobs nationwide in the coming five years along with a special focus on skill training.

He said the government would have to establish10 technicaluniversities in Pakistan to inculcate skills to the youth. `We`ll have to double the size of existing skill development and vocational training programmes at provincial and federal levels,` he said.

Mr Rehman said government of the Punjab was thankful to the European Union, Germany, Norway and other development partnersfor their contributions to reforms and development of thesystem of technical education and vocational training in Pakistan.

He said the existing potential of the country`s sustainable economic and social development was based on energy resources, good conditions for agriculture and its geographical relevance to trade routes for the bordering states.

The secretary said the potential was not sufficiently used unfortunately. `Our government wants to utilise the potential of socio-economic development to its fullest, which we understand cannot be materialised without reforming the TVET system in the country, he said.

He said approximately twothirds of the population of the country were below the age of 30. `We won`t be able to convert this youth bulge into economic dividend without reforming and making a robustTVET system that caters for industry requirements locally and internationally, he said.

Deputy Ambassador of the European Union Anne Marchal said that it was important to appreciate government`s commitment to create 10 million jobs for the youth and efforts to equip them with technical skills through a TVET policy.

She said that the policy would not only produce highly sl(illed labourers but it would also boost the economy of the country as well.

She added the European Union was actively involved in the promotion of the TEVT sector programmes in Pakistan and its second phase would assist in improving the governance, quality technical education and strengthen public private sector engagement across the country.