ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Muhammad Balighur Rehman Monday said the present government was determined to wipe out the menaces of terrorism and extremism completely from the country with its prudent policies.
The incidents of terrorism had decreased substantially across the country and now the improved law and order situation would prove as catalyst to the country’s financial and industrial growth vis-a vis boosting the economic activities, he said.
The minister was addressing at the inaugural session of two-day `International TVET Conference Pakistan-2016′ arranged by National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC).
Balighur Rehman said the law and order situation was also improving in Karachi which was the hub of economic activity and gateway to Pakistan’s economy.
About the energy situation, he said the country would be able to meet all its energy needs till 2018 through the viable energy projects using wind, hydel, solar and other means of energy.
The policy of zero power outages for the industrial sector was also help improve the industry and the duration of overall power outages had been reduced in the country.
He said youth was over 60% percent of the total population of the country and it was high time to invest more in their educational needs and vocational and technical training, utilizing their energies in constructive way.
Terming education as a key to prevent from all the ills, he said the government had increased the budgetary allocations for education from Rs 500 billion in the year 2012-13 upto Rs 800 billion in the year 2016-17.
While for Higher Education Commission (HEC), the government had increased the allocations from Rs 41 billion in the year 2012-13 upto Rs 91 billion in the year 2016-17.
He said greater investment in human capital only can help boost confidence and self-esteem of our younger generation.
Education was now a devolved subject but still the federal government was carrying out efforts to bring improvements in this sector, Balighur Rehman said.
The government had reactivated the forum of Inter-Provincial Ministerial Conference (IPMC), National Skills Information System (NSIS), Skills Development Councils (SDC) and National Training Bureau.
The minister stressed the need to establish more technical and vocational centers in the country, expanding the span of TVET sector, the minister said.
The new Apprenticeship Act, he said, had been approved and would be forwarded to the cabinet soon. The act would provide more opportunities to the youth to get training in their respective trade at work place, he added.
Addressing on the occasion, Executive Director NAVTTC Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema briefed the audience about the initiatives of the commission.
He said NAVTTC was pursuing its target of equipping 50,000 youth with technical and vocational training in different trades this year.
NAVTTC job portal was benefitting a number of youth through providing them links to around 200 to 250 different jobs on daily basis, he said.
He said the job placement centre established at the commission’s headquarters will also be established at provincial and divisional levels for better placement of skilled and trained persons in the public and private sectors.
He said youth population in the country was over 60 percent of the total population of the country and it was essential to provide quality technical education and training to them, enhancing their employability in the private sector.
Experts from 15 countries including China, Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and Sri Lanka were participating in the two-day conference.
Source: APP
