PESHAWAR: The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) has devised a comprehensive plan to introduce, for the first-time, competency-based training in selected technical educations and vocational training (TEVT) institutes across the country.

The implementation of the new training approach would start in September this year, said a press release issued here on Monday.

In this regard a workshop was organised by NAVTTC in collaboration with TEVT Reform Support Programme, which is co-funded by the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany and implemented by GIZ, according to the press release.

Apart from a large number of experts, government officials, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Technical Education and Vocational Training Agency (TEVTA) Chairman Nauman Wazir, Fata Technical Education Secretary Abid Majeed, NAVTTC Director General Mohammad Yayha, TEVT Reform Support Programme National Deputy Coordinator Raja Saad Khan attended the session.

Speaking on the occasion, the experts underlined the importance of competency based training, saying currently the curricula being implemented in the TEVT institutes had limited linkage with the industry and business. As a result, the trainees even after finishing their training were unable to fulfil the needs of the job market, they added.

They said that with competency based training approach, the trainees would learn in a comparatively real work place environment as the industry or employer would have a direct role in identifying the skills needed, designing of curricula and assessment of the trainees.

During the session, the TEVTA officials identified a number of trades and institutes where the competency based training programmes could be initiated by September.

As per the plan, the NAVTTC will have similar workshops in Karachi, Lahore and Muzaffarabad to complete the identification and selection of 60 institutes and trades for the implementation of competency based training.

After successful implementation of these 60 training programmes, it will be gradually replicated at all the training institutes to overhaul TEVT system in the country. — Bureau Report

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2014