Peshawar-The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is all set to trigger youth skills trainings in the province as international donors-funded TVET Sector Support Programme (SSP) has handed over a state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence to the KP Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (KP TEVTA) established in Hayatabad, Peshawar.
The handing-over ceremony was held in Hayatabad where Advisor to Chief Minister KP Abdul Karim Khan was the chief guest. First Secretary of the EU Delegation to Pakistan,    Sven Ruesch; Cluster Coordinator for Training, Sustainable Growth and Decent Employment Opportunities, GIZ-Pakistan   Olaf Handloegten; Managing Director KP TEVTA Engr Sajjad Ali Shah and others attended the event.
According to details, as many as five centres of excellence (CoEs) have been planned which is a collaborative initiative of the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH under the TVET SSP, which is funded by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Norwegian Embassy.
These five CoEs are being established through up gradation in Islamabad, Lahore, Kotri and Hub cities. They will provide a cascading model of teachers’ training, upscaling of skills for trainees, modern lab facilities, career counselling and job placement services under one roof.
The CoE Peshawar, which is the first one of these CoEs to be completed and launched, will foster excellence in training delivery for thousands of youth and TVET practitioners as well as will assist in the building up of a competent workforce with better job opportunities.
 Speaking on the occasion, Sven Ruesch from EU Delegation to Pakistan appreciated all stakeholders involved in finalising this Hayatabad CoE with commitment. “We hope that the KP TEVTA management will take advantage of the upgraded training facilities for both TVET teachers and trainees and devise mechanisms to ensure this CoE lives up to its full potential,” he said.
While addressing the ceremony, Advisor to KP Chief Minister, Abdul Karim Khan appreciated the establishment of the Hayatabad centre of excellence. He termed this extraordinary training facility as a gift to the KP government from European Union, Germany and Norway and assured that the provincial government will ensure its smooth functioning.