Vocational education emphasised

Islamabad : “There is a strong need from both Pakistan and China to cooperate in vocational education. Much progress has been made, and it’s just the start”, said Syed Javed Hassan, Chairman National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).

China has provided hundreds of Pakistani schools with vocational training and technical equipment that was worth about Rs500 million.

About 200 Pakistanis have been sent on scholarship to get short-term training in Chinese vocational institutions, he told China Economic Net (CEN) in an interview.

“Dialogues are ongoing regarding how to further enhance the cooperation”, he added.

According to Syed Javed Hassan, there is a lot that can be done in Pakistan in vocational training.

First is capacity building. “The total amount of capacity of formal vocational training is about 400,000, but what we need is probably as much as 2 million”.

Just as important is the training of trainers. “It is not simply a question of having classrooms and equipment, but it is also very important to have the right kind of trainers”, Syed Hassan told that communication is underway as to what training of trainers can take place both by bringing Chinese trainers to Pakistan and by sending trainers to China to get trained there.

Then there is also a question of course certification. “We would like to see some joint programs between the two countries so that for example, if Chinese employers come to Pakistan, they should be able to immediately employ those with mutually recognised certification and vice versa”, Syed Hassan opined.

“More institutes, training equipment of higher quality, better trainers, the curriculum in line with international standards and market demand, this is where Pakistan’s vocational education is going”, he added.

Educational institutions on both sides are responding to this huge demand.

“This year, we will see cooperation established with about ten institutions in Pakistan”, Ma Xiaoyan from Tang International Education Group said.