UAE oil, gas firms demand workers from Punjab: minister

LAHORE
Punjab Labour and Human Resource Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said due to upgrade of syllabus of skill training institutes and demand based latest technical training of youths by the Punjab government, the labour exports from the province to foreign countries including UAE and GCC have increased 10 per cent this year.
Oil and gas companies of UAE have demanded skilled workers from Punjab for completion of its infrastructure and development projects. A roadmap is being finalised to meet UAE demand for which a high level delegation of technical experts led by CEO Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) Ali Sarfraz will visit UAE to discuss the details of the agreement, the minister said while chairing a meeting of provincial steering committee for labour export constituted by the chief minister.
Delegations comprising technical experts from PSDF, TEVTA and PVTC will visit oil and gas development company (OGDC) Pakistan to seek guidance and information of its technical courses imparted in oil and gas sector, the minister said. A high level presentation comprising video links, broachers, technical training facilities and funding mechanism will be given to UAE’s oil and gas companies during the visit of provincial technical experts, he added.
The meeting was informed that three mining schools of Punjab Mines and Mineral Department are already given technical training in related oil and gas mining sector and their support would also be gained to meet UAE’s labour export demand. Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said an effective mechanism has been prepared for demand based skill training of youths in public and private sector training institutes so as to enhance possibilities of labour export to foreign counties. The meeting was informed that lacunas would be removed in provincial training institute management and syllabus by capacity building through short, middle and long terms planning and crash programs, refresher courses, latest machinery and labs would also be introduced. MPA Saira Iftikhar, Labour Secretary Ishrat Ali, CEO PSDF Ali Sarfraz, Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) MD Majid Naseer, Overseas Employment Cell, Tevta In charge Aamir Hassan, and other officials attended the meeting.