FARYAL AZAM

LAHORE - The Punjab Vocational Training Institute (PVTI) is not fully catering  to the needs of a huge number of unskilled youth due to its insufficient budgetary allocation.

A lack of spadework for chalking out training programmes in line with future needs, especially after completion of game-changer project in the region China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a question mark on the utility of the institute.

The Punjab Zakat and Usher Department has been funding it. It is giving good results by imparting technical skills to tens of thousands of youth at its 348 institutes across Punjab, but it has not been given due attention to tap the talent of youth.

Set up in 1998 by the Punjab Zakat and Usher Department, the institute is presently running 107 programmes in various sectors, including agriculture, industry and health.

In addition to Rs1,089 million provided by the Zakat and Usher Department, the Planning and Development Department is giving Rs1,810 million to it for managing affairs of 348 institutes.

The skilled youth earn livelihood while working in the country or abroad. In case choosing any other country for better fortune, they can fetch a huge foreign exchange to the country in the form of remittances; one of the main sources that satisfies the budgetary needs of the country. So trainees must be prepared to keep an eye on future economic needs of Pakistan.

The majority in the country is below the poverty line and Zakat is given to rehabilitate the deserving people for the sake of maintaining socio-economic balance in the society.

Realising the future needs, in view of the meager budget the PVTI has spread its framework across Punjab whereof remarkable changes in the core-root of financial and class structure is expected in near future. This department needs to be streamlined at the national level and the government must increase its budget so that the number of programmes can be increased on a mega scale.

For imparting this skill, the government must also focus on male and female members for tapping their capabilities.

Previously, PVTI was working in collaboration with GiZ, PSDF, Unicef, British Council, and other such donors to contribute to poverty alleviation. But, due to old fashioned mechanism and inefficiency in utilising funds, some national and international donors have backed out.

In 2015, the Zakat and Usher Department launched some programmes under the Khadim-e-Aala Rozgar Scheme as a pilot project in six districts – Attock, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sahiwal, Sheikhupura and Lahore. Under this scheme, the pass-outs of the PVTI can get soft loans up to Rs200,000.

In 2016, 54 projects, mainly of vocational training at Afghan refugee camps, were initiated for domestic workers, rural community development, school IT labs etc.

The government needs to focus on increasing the budgetary allocation so that it can increase its number of programmes as well as meet the needs of the workforce after completion of CPEC. This institution may win the trust of local people and become efficient in fulfilling the real purpose of Zakat.