July 02, 2007	Monday	Jamadi-us-Sani 16, 1428

Like some other nation-building efforts, the high-sounding plans to create a pool of skilled manpower for the country itself and for export have failed miserably. Concerned over the situation, the government is now understood to have decided to tackle the issue afresh and consult the Middle Eastern countries about the needs of their labour market.

Both officials and independent quarters agree that every government, including the present one run by President Gen Pervez Musharraf, paid only lip service to promoting skill development.

No demand-driven strategy was devised by successive governments to narrow the demand and supply gap of the skilled manpower with the result that industrialisation in the country, productivity, quality and export of manpower have suffered. But the countries like Philippines and Sri Lanka successfully captured foreign markets especially that of the Middle East.

"One cannot deny that much has not been done so far to develop skilled manpower but at-least some humble beginning is being made now to address the issue", said Chairman National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (NVTEC) Mr Altaf M. Saleem.

When contacted he said that he had given a detailed presentation to the ambassadors of eight Middle East countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Libya on Thursday (June 28) in Islamabad and sought their recommendations to increase export of Pakistani skilled manpower in their respective countries.

"And after having detailed discussions we agreed to set up a Coordination Committee which will hold road shows in the Middle East to export finished goods rather than raw materials and this is how we plan to achieve our objectives", he said.

Mr Saleem said that all the eight Ambassadors would very soon be contacting their respective countries to provide details of their demands of Pakistani manpower.

A decision, he said, has been taken to prepare 2.3 million skilled manpower by 2010. About 100,000 million skilled manpower has just been added, he claimed. This included those 45 per cent who received training and got absorbed in the domestic market and that another 100,000 skilled manpower will be added in the system next year.

Five major areas have been chosen for providing adequate training which include oil and gas, steel fixing operations, livestock and dairies, nursing and general technicians. "This is not going to be an easy task and I do not want to unnecessary raise hopes for delivering but at least I can try and I am trying".

He said that syllabus and curriculum is being changed to cater to the market requirements. And at the same time new courses will be started for teachers' training. The objective is to remove "mis-alignment" and produce skilled manpower both for local and foreign markets. The existing Rs500 million budget has been promised to be raised to Rs2.5 billion to undertake the assignment, he said.

He said six to 12 months courses will be started to produce skilled manpower. Former Director of Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) Dr A.R, Kamal, however, did not believe that real demand driven training will be imparted to have skilled manpower in the country which, he said, was the need of the hour,if at all Pakistan has to compete with other countries.

"First of all, the government must conduct a survey as to which industry needs skilled manpower and how this task can be carried out", he said, adding that 20 years ago International Labour Organization (ILO) had conducted a study that aimed at producing skilled labour force but its recommendations were not implemented in letter and spirit.

"After 20 years, ILO has again decided to do the job and has asked me to take up the assignment", Dr Kamal said. The country, he said, was having syllabus that had been introduced in 1960 on machinery and laboratories.

"The government needs to give a serious thought to deal with this issue", he said. He believed that sincere efforts were required to accomplish broad objectives of producing quality and skilled manpower.

Apparently for every government, employment generation remained the most important instrument in the fight against poverty. During 1999-2006, growth rate of labour force was 4.1 per cent in Pakistan while growth rate in employment was 4.4 per cent. During this period about 10 per cent increase was registered in unskilled labour force as compared with 12 per cent in skilled category of masons, carpenters, plumbers and electricians.

About three million labour force is openly unemployed in Pakistan. An important area of concern is that about 46 per cent of new jobs in last six years was created in the category of "contributing family workers".

The Pakistan Labour Force Survey 2005-06 reported notable reduction in the unemployment rate, from 7.7 percent in 2003-04 to 6.2 percent in 2005-06. But independent experts and economists did not accept this claim and maintained that this rate was still close to 10 per cent.

The National Internship Programme has been launched for the fresh unemployed graduates to improve their skills by providing them opportunity to work for one year and gain hands-on experience in government organisations nationwide and selected private sector organisations.

A big gap persists between supply and demand of skilled labour force. Pakistan is currently exporting low and semi-skilled work force to other countries who earn very little wages as compared to skilled workers from other countries. Skill development of labour force in modern technology may fetch them better wages and lead to surge in home remittances.