Technical training: JICA to help fund select TEVTA initiatives

Job placement offices to be set up at district, institute levels

LAHORE: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been working with the Technical Education and Vocational Authority to support the Technical Education and Vocational Training (TEVT) system at several TEVTA centres in the province.

The JICA has already given 860 million yen to purchase machinery and equipment for mechanical and architecture departments at the Government College of Technology, Railway Road, Lahore.

The agency has pledged another 614 million yen as assistance and grant-in-aid to the TEVTA to improve services at the Government College of Technology, Faisalabad, and 13 other colleges of technology in the province. The grant has been pledged for the duration 2016-2019.

TEVTA Chairperson Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said this at a seminar, JICA’s Support to promote TEVT system in the Punjab, held on Saturday.

He said 46 master trainers had been trained to teach various aspects of mechanical technology including CNC machines, metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, CAD/CAM designing and industrial planning and products.

The JICA’s cooperation will be helpful in exporting trained manpower in the field of mechanical technology, Sheikh said. “We want our skilled manpower to get better job opportunities.”

The TEVTA chairperson said that the basic idea behind establishing centres of excellence at the GCT, Faisalabad, and upgrading 13 colleges was to provide trained manpower according to the needs of the industry at the national and the international levels.  “The main features of this project are the revision of the curriculum for mechanical technology, the provision of equipment and training to trainers and the establishment of job placement cells at the district and institute levels.” He said institutes would have to play an active part in providing jobs to students who complete their training.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2016.