ISLAMABAD - Speaker Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi, welcoming multiple initiatives of Technical Vocational Education and Training Sector Support Programme (TVET SSP) and international donors for producing skilled manpower in the region, on Monday said that the region could grab substantial benefits of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects by providing a skilled workforce that could bring economic and social development of the local people.

He expressed these views while addressing a donors’ conference organised by Directorate of Technical Education and Skills Development (DTESD), GB, in collaboration with TVET Sector Support Programme (TVET SSP) in Skardu. 

The purpose of the event was to ensure sustainability as well as promotion of TVET programmes in the region through enhanced collaboration of donors, according to a statement.

Education Minister GB Raja Azam Khan, Secretary Education Iqbal Hussain Khan, Head of Cooperation of EU Delegation in Pakistan Ovidiu Mic, Head of TVET SSP Iris Cordelia Rotzoll, Director TESD Faizullah Lone along with representatives from donors’ organisations attended the conference.

The GB Speaker said that in the CPEC scenario, the region is witnessing a number of mega economic interventions, especially construction of dams and roads network, unexplored mineral resources, tourism, trade, renewable energy and emerging IT sector which is a huge job market. “We can get major benefits of this market by producing a skilled force. To cater to this situation, it requires an effective TVET system that can adapt and produce the required trained workforce in GB, so that upcoming positions can be filled by a Pakistani work force,” he maintained.

Syed Amjad Ali Zaidi said that partnership between DTESD, TVET SSP and other development partners would help train the required workforce to meet the challenges for prosperity and economic growth in GB.

Speaking on the occasion, Ovidiu Mic said that collaborative efforts of various development partners in this region could further build on what EU and its development partners had initiated with our engagement over the past decade. The region has a lot of scope for a variety of skills in sectors such as construction, engineering, hospitality, information technology, and renewable energy. “We look forward to continuing our engagement in the TVET sector here,” he said.

The TVET SSP, which is funded by European Union, Germany and the Royal Norwegian Embassy, is implemented by the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NVTTC) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), in collaboration with regional TEVTAs, PVTC and regional TVET bodies like GB DTESD. 

The GB government is taking concrete steps for the promotion of TVET sector through approval of the TVET Act 2018 of Gilgit-Baltistan. The legislative process has opened doors for real-time reforms in the TVET sector of this remote region. 

Some key initiatives of TVET SSP in Gilgit-Baltistan include human resource development and private sector engagement in TVET.

Through the conference, the GB government provided a platform to present a roadmap for sustainability of interventions of TVET SSP carried out since 2011 in the region. It will also encourage the TVET sector to attract donors and partners for the funding of key areas of the 5-year TVET Policy Implementation Plan and Gilgit-Baltistan TVET Strategy (2021-30).