Changing dimensions: Rules governing SDCs to be overhauled across the country

Heads of some regional offices serving for well over a decade.

ISLAMABAD:

Rules governing the functioning of Skill Development Councils (SDC) that are a hurdle in the proper functioning of five of their offices countrywide are being changed by the government.

A meeting of the SDC board held at the Ministry of Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education on Wednesday reviewed the quality, performance and organisational structure of the institutes offering skill development trainings and short courses.

In October this year, the issue of the SDCs’ poor performance was discussed in the Senate Standing Committee on Education and Training, where issues ranging from the number of courses provided to the quality of delivery were harshly criticised.

The Senate body had criticised the long office terms for SDC chairpersons across the country and had also shown concern over office heads who were serving on the same post for 15 to 18 years in the Peshawar and Karachi offices respectively. Meanwhile, the SDC Quetta office remains non-functional.



The Senate body had suggested that the ministry appoint new heads and take action against the Lahore office director for his alleged involvement in illegal affairs.

Meanwhile, the meeting, presided over by federal minister Baligur Rehman also decided to turn down a fee hike suggested by the NTB director general. “On one hand, we talk of free education while on the other we charge high fees from poor people who reach government bodies to get training at minimum cost,” stated the minister.

Another issue was the lacuna in SDC bylaws that asks for the head of regional SDC representation to be picked from the local chamber of commerce and industry and employees federation.

The meeting, according to the rules, should be held twice every year, but was actually held after almost three years.

The meeting was told that the case of the SDC’s Lahore regional chief had been forwarded to the Federal Investigation Authority.

The members also agreed to constitute laws which could create harmony between regional directors and chairpersons instead of the prevalent environment of rivalry — a cause of embarrassment for one of the regional offices.



It was agreed that the NTB would also be given certain governance powers to solve issues in a better manner.

With an objective to design and develop training courses in accordance with emerging needs, SDC is an autonomous organisation functioning under the National Training Board (NTB) in a public-private partnership by involving experts from relevant industries.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2013.