Trades and skills: TEVTA to offer extended Chinese language course

Authority chairperson says China has emerged as a preeminent economic force

LAHORE: The Technical Educational and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) on Thursday announced the initiation of an elongated Chinese language evening course.

Speaking at a meeting convened to review the programme, Tevta Chairperson Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said China had emerged as a preeminent economic force. He said Pakistan-China cooperation would prove to be lucrative for Pakistanis. Sheikh said the initiation of the extended course would go a long way in overcoming the language barrier between the two countries.

“The course will be particularly useful for citizens aspiring to work for Chinese firms operating in Pakistan and looking for employment in China,” he said.  The chairperson said Pakistan was brimming with talent. He said the time was ripe to harness citizens’ potential by providing them vocational training. “I’m confident that Pakistan will be able to attract Chinese manufacturing firms by putting together a skilled workforce, Sheikh said.

The Tevta chairperson said a four-month Chinese language executive course had been launched earlier last month. He said the course had been initiated as a pilot for businesspeople and executives following the successful completion of a regular three-month Chinese language course. Sheikh said 200 individuals had been taught Chinese over the first and second instalments of the regular course. He said the fourth-month course had been launched on the demand of the business community.

Sheikh said the Tevta had taken the initiative to facilitate businesspeople who wanted to strengthen ties with their Chinese counterparts. He said the executive course was being taught at Gulberg’s Government Technical Training Institute while the regular course was being taught at Railway Road Government College of Technology and Gulberg’s Technical Training Institute.

The Tevta chairperson said the number of seats for the elongated course set to commence stood at 50. He said matriculation was the minimum requirement to enrol at the course. Sheikh said the elongated course had been conceived to enhance employment prospects of skilled Pakistani manpower across China.

Tevta COO Jawad Ahmed Qureshi was also present at the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2016.