NAVTEC AND ICCI COORDINATION WILL HELP PROVIDE SKILLED MANPOWER TO TRADE AND INDUSTRY – PRESIDENT ICCI

Trade and Industry is experiencing shortage of skilled and well trained manpower which is proving a great hurdle in the promotion and growth of productivity of commercial organizations and NAVTEC initiatives concerning skills development in various sectors through establishment of Vocational and Technical Education Institutes will play a positive role in providing trained and skilled manpower to public and private sector enterprises, stated Muhammad Ijaz Abbasi, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while meeting with Mr. Adnan A. Khawaja, Chairman, National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) in Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Islamabad.

ICCI President said Pakistan is blessed with very young human capital, but this huge manpower needs latest training and skills development to convert this budding talent into a productive and valuable source of production for the country. He said many sectors of the economy are finding it hard to hire knowledgeable and highly skilled professionals which necessitates the establishment of more vocational and technical education institutes in the country so that after getting vocational and technical education from these institutes, our youth could become a productive and value adding human resource for trade and industry.

Muhammad Ijaz Abbasi said foreign investors are always on the look out for countries that provide highly skilled and cheap labor and by developing the skills and knowledge of its human resource and equipping it with latest and demand driven education, Pakistan can attract domestic and foreign investment in the country. He said this will not only stimulate more economic activities in the country, more job opportunities will be created in the country leading to reduction in unemployment and poverty and hoped that NAVTEC efforts will go a long way in achieving these objectives.

ICCI President said Islamabad Chamber of Commerce is establishing a vocational and technical training institute in Islamabad with its members’ cooperation to provide training in different professions to meet the HR needs of business and industry and thanked Chairman NAVTEC for his kind assurance for providing financial support for this project. He said ICCI is also constructing a seven storey Export Display Centre in Islamabad with its own resources for display of exportable items by trade and industry and hoped that this Centre will give a boost to our exports.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Adnan A Khawaja, Chairman, National Vocational & Technical Education Commission (NAVTEC) gave a brief introduction of his organization. He said NAVTEC is mandated to facilitate, regulate, and provide policy direction for technical education and vocational training to meet national and international demand for skilled manpower. He said NAVTEC reviews, devises policy and evolves strategy/prepares training programmes relating to human resource development with a focus on technical and education and training in addition to developing national occupational skills standards, curricula and trade testing certification systems for all sectors in which technical education and vocational training is imparted

He said that under Prime Minister’s “Hunarmand Pakistan” scheme, NAVTEC will provide complete kit of tools to the trainees who will be imparted training of specific professions under this scheme so that after getting training, trainees could immediately start their professional career.

Chairman NAVTEC said the Commission is currently focusing its efforts on four priority areas comprising construction, agriculture, hospitality, IT and telecommunication which are facing shortage of skilled and well trained manpower. For this purpose, he sought the cooperation of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce for active involvement of private sector to identify and find out their skilled manpower needs and take initiatives to provide knowledgeable, well trained and skilled professionals to private sector in the field of construction, agriculture, hospitality, IT & Telecom and hoped that NAVTEC and ICCI coordination will produce positive results for meeting HR needs of trade and industry.