Plan to set up national skills forum

Islamabad: The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) has planned to establish the country's first-ever national skills forum as a step to provide strategic vision to the technical and vocational education and training sector for ensuring decent employment for millions of youths.

The Pakistan Skill Forum, which will be established in collaboration with the Federation of Pakistani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will bring both the government and the industry to one platform for offering employable skills to the youth according to the needs of the job market.

The concept for establishing the said forum was discussed in a meeting held at NAVTTC Headquarters here on Friday. NAVTTC Executive Director Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema chaired the meeting, whereas a delegation from FPCCI headed by Karim Aziz Malik, Vice President, was also present. Speaking on the occasion, Cheema said the industry had a strong role to play in the policy formulation for the skill development and bringing a paradigm shift in the delivery of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the country.

He said the FPCCI should take a lead role for skill development, which will lead to provision of employment opportunities among our youth through provision of demand driven training to them.

Cheema also shared the concept for the establishment of Pakistan Skills Forum for mainstreaming the cooperation between public and private sector to ensure provision of employable skills to youth of Pakistan.

The FPCCI delegation welcomed the initiative, saying it would help in bridging disconnect between public and private sector and would ultimately lead towards socio-economic development of the country.

FPCCI delegation assured the NAVTTC executive director for its cooperation for the implementation of TVET policy and appreciated the measures taken by NAVTTC for skill development in the country.