May 4, 2005	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 24, 1426

KARACHI, May 3: Education Sector Reforms Assistance (ESRA) and Sun Development Foundation (SDF) proposed a project to the Sindh government aimed at preparing a female working force in the garment industry. ESRA Chief Suzanne Olds and SDF Chief Executive Iqbal Ghaziuddin called on Sindh Education Minister Dr Hamida Khuhro on Tuesday at her residence and apprised her of the project.

They said that the project would help to increase garment workers skills as well as their efficiency.

They maintained that it would help to increase productivity of the garment factories and enable both the owners and workers to prepare for the challenges, borne due to the WTO garment quota removal policy.

Briefing on the project, Ms Olds said the USAID and ESRA had funded for imparting skills to 40,000 workers in the next 5 years.

She said that it was based to develop human resources in Pakistan.

The minister was further informed that under the project, all technical and vocational institutions of Sindh, having industrial sewing machines, would be provided with an 8-week training course especially for females.

Dr Khuhro appreciated the project and hoped it would help to enhance adult literacy and promote employment opportunities with capacity building and human development.

She, on the occasion, directed director technical education Sindh to finalize the features of project through consultation with the ESRA and SDA for its early implementation.

Meanwhile, Dr Khuhro called on women to play a more active and result-oriented role for the promotion of education in “the century of women”.

She was speaking at the annual prize distribution ceremony of PECHS College for Women.

Dr Khuhro said that the resumption of ban on recruitment, would cater the need of teaching and non-teaching staff. —PPIs