EU provides 45m euros for youth training

48,500 people including 30% women will be trained in third phase

ISLAMABAD: The European Union remains the biggest donor in Pakistan by providing 45 million euros to support national-level technical and vocational education and training (TVET) projects.

The EU would provide the support for ongoing reforms in Pakistan’s TVET sector focusing on equipping the youth with employable skills, it was announced at the signing of an implementation agreement between the EU and GIZ on Friday.

After successful implementation of two projects (TVET-I and II) over the past five years, the EU support will be extended for implementation of a third programme (TVET-III), which is expected to begin in January 2017 and continue for five years.

TVET-III is aimed at scaling up the reform process based on the national TVET policy and the National Vocational Qualifications Framework, launched in March 2015.

Apart from laying a strong foundation for a modernised TVET system, the programme will also support provision of demand-driven training to 48,500 people, of which 30% will be women.

It will also support the up-gradation of four centres of competence for teacher training across Pakistan to improve the quality of teaching methods in the TVET sector.

Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH will continue to implement the reform programme as lead technical agency in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and other public and private-sector organisations across the country.

EU Ambassador Jean-Francois Cautain, German Ambassador Ina Lepel, NAVTTC Executive Director Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema and a number of senior government officials, leading employers and representatives of various donors and international technical agencies attended the ceremony.

In his remarks, Cautain termed TVET a flagship sector for EU’s support to Pakistan. Highlighting the importance of the sector, he said, “Our support to the TVET sector is in line with advancement in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan will need skilled labour in various sectors in upcoming years to meet the demand with expected economic progression.”

The two ongoing EU-funded TVET projects will end in December 2016.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 3^rd, 2016.

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