WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IS MUST FOR FAST ECONOMIC GROWTH – ICCI PRESIDENT

Pakistan has the potential to reap huge economic benefits by developing its abundant human resource capital through modern education and skills development initiatives, said Muhammad Ijaz Abbasi, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while exchanging views with Mr. Eduardo Tugenbhat, President & CEO of CARANA Corporation and Mr. Baljit Vohra, Director of Louis Verger Group who called on him at ICCI.

Muhammad Ijaz Abbasi said Pakistan is a developing country blessed with enough natural resources but due to lack of workforce development activities, country could not make progress according to its full potential. He said our large population, which is proving a big pressure on country’s resources, can be turned into a huge asset by imparting it modern education and vocational & technical training. Talking about private sector role in promoting workforce development, he said private sector better knows about the competency and skills level of its human resource for development and growth, therefore, private sector should come forward and establish more vocational and technical training institutes in the country so that business and industry could have no problem in finding out well trained and skilled manpower.

ICCI President said rural economy of Pakistan needs more focus and attention for workforce developmental as majority of our population lives in rural areas. He said by developing their knowledge and skills, Pakistan has the potential to bring vast improvements in its rural economy and to attract more investment in rural areas to exploit the untapped sectors of our rural economy. He said this will not only provide new job opportunities to the people, Pakistan will be able to enhance its exports by developing rural manpower’s competency and knowledge/skills.

Talking about ICCI role for workforce development initiatives, he said ICCI in recent past conducted some workshops and seminars for youth development where young people were provided opportunities to directly interact with experienced business personalities, exchange views with them and enhance their business knowledge & skills by sharing their experience. He said ICCI is also planning to establish a vocational & technical education institute in Islamabad with the cooperation of its members to produce trained and skilled manpower.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Eduardo Tugendhat, President & CEO of CARANA Corporation told that CARANA is a leading provider of global economic development services to government, private business, individuals, and international donor agencies. He said CARANA designs and implements results-oriented strategies for competing in the global economy, primarily for USAID. He said CARANA has partnered with Cooperative Housing Foundation known as CHF International to focus on workforce development projects in Pakistan and he is in Pakistan to find out the opportunities of promoting linkages between foreign investors and business & industry in Pakistan and to find out the areas of workforce development efforts so that they could contribute their share in this area. In the end, he appreciated the valuable suggestions and recommendations of ICCI President for workforce development and said that these will help them a lot in improving their efforts. ICCI President also assured him of his best cooperation in their pursuits and hoped that their efforts will produce positive results for Pakistan’s economy by promoting investment as well as people potential.