PESHAWAR, Dec 16: German scholar Prof Dr Karin Wagner on Friday emphasized the need for vocational training at school level and said it was because of this practice that Germany had got an edge among European and other economies as far as industrial development was concerned. Delivering a lecture on ‘skill development for growth and productivity’ here at the Institute of Management Sciences, she said that highly skilled personnel were a fundamental requirement to achieve better productivity and added that this need could be fulfilled if vocational training was provided to people during their schooling.

“On-job training is of prime importance, because people learn more from their practical experiences,” she said, adding that Pakistan could boost its economy if it focused on the on-job training of its workers.

She pointed out that German school students were connected with various manufacturing firms and they spent three days in their school and one day in the company concerned. “This gives enough practical knowledge to students. They become highly skilful when they finish education due to which they are readily welcomed for jobs.”—Correspondent