26 October 2004	Tuesday	11 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Oct 25: The Sindh government is launching a skill development internship programme for unemployed fresh engineering graduates on the pattern of house-jobs provided for fresh medical graduates.

The modalities of the project for which an allocation of Rs40 million has been made for the first year, were discussed threadbare at a meeting of experts, jointly held by the secretary of works and services, Faisal Saud, and chief controller of Buildings, Karachi Building Control Authority, Brig A S Nasir, here on Monday.

Speaking at the meeting, Brig Nasir said that engineering universities, colleges and various polytechnic institutions are producing skilled persons in a large number every year and it is estimated that universities in Sindh are producing about 3,500 graduate engineers in various disciplines while more than 7,000 persons are receiving diplomas from technical colleges and polytechnic institutions.

He said the number of unemployed civil engineers is estimated to be about 2,000 while those qualified in civil engineering diploma are around 3,000.

Brig Nasir said that while exploring the status of unemployment, a large number of engineers in various technologies are refused employment in the private sector on the basis of non- expertise.

The fresh graduates, he said, obviously cannot have experience of any field-work unless he is exposed to such field-work either through employment or through some focused efforts of the government or private sector, including NGOs.

The secretary of works and services, Faisal Saud, explained the main features of the scheme which, he said, if proved successful, will be extended to other engineering disciplines for which increased funds, including the foreign component, will be allocated.

Explaining the salient features of the scheme, he said a total of 300 graduate engineers and 600 diploma-holders in civil engineering will be trained in different special fields of civil engineering, i.e. material testing, field supervision, construction of buildings, construction of high-rises, etc.

The graduate engineers will be paid Rs5,000 and diploma-holders Rs 3,000 per month for a period of 12 months.

Employers will be coordinated to participate in the training programme by extending training and field supervision to unemployed engineers and will bear the expenditure on such an activity while stipend will be paid by the government.

The training programme or field experience programme will be for a period of one year.

On completion of one-year training, certificates of experience by the employers in private sector, as well as government sector, will be issued.

Faisal Saud said the scheme will be a pilot project and on successful completion, its scope will be broadened. He said selection of the candidates will be on merit.

Brig Nasir assured the secretary of works and services that his department will be totally at his disposal for successful implementation of the scheme whose implementation will be personally monitored by himself.

Brig Nasir said that job absorption in the engineering sector has improved. He assigned the controller of buildings Mohammed Shafiq, to prepare a list of unemployed engineers.

On a proposal by Mr Faisal Saud, it was agreed that the list will cover such unemployed engineers for the last five years, as there had been a continuous ban on jobs for the past many years.

On his proposal, a four-member committee, to be headed by Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, officer on special duty, KBCA, was formed to chalk out modalities for the implementation of the scheme.

Other members included representatives from ABAD, NED University and Association of Engineering Consultants.

Dr Shabbar, Co-chairman Department of Civil Engineering NED University, appreciated the scheme and said the university is prepared to offer any required help in its implementation.

Farooquzzaman, a representative of chairman ABAD, appreciated the scheme and said it would help stop wastage of engineers' corps and help employers in having choice picking of engineers.

Siddiq Essa, Secretary Association of Consultants, also appreciated the scheme and said even those having experience must undergo refresher courses to get themselves updated in day today changes taking place in the field.

Rauf Akhtar Farooqi praised the Government of Sindh for taking a lead to help out the unemployed engineers. He pointed out that our fresh graduates do have great potential and if encouraged, they can prove an asset for Pakistan at home and abroad.

Engineer Mohammed Shafiq said Pakistan Engineering Council had strived to float a similar project which remained unimplemented. He said that out of frustration many fresh graduates during the last six years had changed their discipline to Information Technology and now when the construction industry is once again witnessing a boom for the last two years, shortage of engineers and consultants is being felt.

On the occasion, the meeting was briefed about the training to be imparted to unemployed engineers with various agencies.-APP