NTB to become modern vocational, technical institute

Islamabad

The National Training Bureau will be transformed into a modern state-of-the-art vocational and technical institute along the lines of international institutes.

This was decided during the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC)’s 15th Board of Management meeting was held on Monday at NAVTTC Headquarters. The meeting was co-chaired by NAVTTC Executive Director Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema and Waqar Ahmad, a representative from the private sector. Representatives from all provincial TEVTAs and authorities of various organizations also participated in the session. On this occasion, Waqar Ahmad said that skilled manpower is the key to social and economic development of the country and appreciated the reform measures taken by NAVTTC including the framing of National Vocational Qualification Standards.

On this occasion, the Executive Director Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema told the members that NAVTTC has shifted towards demand driven training and is imparting training in marketable skills. He said that effectiveness of monitoring has been enhanced to ensure quality training. He also said that major reforms have been introduced to enhance the effectiveness of TVET sector including initiating Competency Based Training throughout the country. He added that the recently held skill competitions have encouraged the youth to opt for vocational and technical training which is evident through the fact that NAVTTC has received four times higher applications than before, under Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Phase-III. He further added that NAVTTC will continue with this practice and hold skills competitions twice a year to create awareness and motivate youth to be trained in various modern trades and enable them to earn respectable living.

Zulfiqar Cheema said that NAVTTC will establish Job Placement Centers both at provincial and regional levels for the guidance of trained youth which will be a positive step and not only benefit TVET sector but also the industrialists and employers who will be able to gain access to the data of skilled youth at the push of a button.

In this session, it was unanimously decided that steps would be taken to transform National Training Bureau (NTB) into a modem state of the art vocational and technical institute on the lines of international institutes. The Executive Director also offered an active participation on public private partnership basis and encouraged the organizations to play their role efficiently in identifying marketable trades, skills, curricula development, and assessment of quality of training.