Pakistanis are increasingly finding it difficult to compete in the international market of skilled labourers as workers from India, Sri Lanka and Nepal continue to replace the country’s workforce on the basis of a better skill set.
“Pakistani labourers failed to match the standards of skilled workers worldwide,” observed Senate’s Standing Committee on Professional and Technical Training Chairman Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash during a meeting on Monday.
“Labourers from other South Asian countries, holding technical certificates from certified institutes, have surpassed the country’s skilled professionals,” he added.
It was noted that vocational training institutes in rural areas have been totally non-functional to address the weaknesses in this regard.
Skilled workers from the Philippines, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka continue to displace Pakistani labourers, which is a remarkable turnaround since Pakistani labourers used to dominate the market in the region as well as the Gulf in the past decade.
The recent cut in funds of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) also came under discussion and the panel urged HEC’s linking with the ministry for parliamentary business and interaction. The committee expressed its disquiet over the delay in release of funds to the HEC which had stalled the remuneration of employees, unanimously recommending that immediate steps be taken to address the matter.
Recognising the importance of education for the future of Pakistan, Bangash said that the only way to defeat terrorism was through imparting education to the masses.
Published In The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2012.
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