FAISALABAD: The Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (Tevta) is contemplating establishment of an institute at Chak Jhumra to provide skilled workforce to the industries to be set up in M-3 Industrial Estate.

The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Tevta Board of Management with its Chairman Sohail Bin Rasheed in the chair on Saturday.

The participants said the board would request the respective authorities to provide space for the institute in M-3 Industrial Estate, Value Addition City and Textile City. The Tevta will arrange staff for the institute.

It was also decided that sensing the increasing demand for skilled workers abroad particularly for China and Korea where they could get better salary package, Chinese and Korean language courses for these workers would be started.

The institution named Government Institute of Technology Millat Town will be inaugurated next month.

The board also decided to establish a Gem and Jewellery Training Centre at Faisalabad and chairman of Pakistan Gem & Jewellery Development Company will be invited to the event.

Sohail Bin Rasheed, who is also the president of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said a comprehensive strategy had been chalked out to further improve the overall performance of Tevta institutions in addition to offering 30 per cent more admissions this year.

He said last year 5,708 students were enrolled in various Tevta institutions and this year 8,000 would get admission in Faisalabad.

He said some institutions were not working to their full capacity and administrative steps were being taken to fully exploit their potential in order to overcome the shortage of skilled manpower in the country.

He said the Government College of Technology (GCT) Samanabad had been declared centre of excellence while another two centres would also be elevated to this status during the current year.

The FCCI president said local industrial units would offer three-month internship to top position holders of Tevta and during the period they would also get a stipend of Rs6,000 per month.

The meeting was also attended by principals and heads of Tevta institutions.

HONORARY DEGREES: The University of Agriculture Faisalabad will confer an honorary degree on the Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and three others at its 21st convocation to be held on Monday (tomorrow).

Governor Chaudhry Sarwar will preside over the convocation. Former Wapda chairman Engineer Shamsul Mulk, ex-chief election commissioner of India Dr Manohar Singh and Dr Swaminathan will also be awarded honorary degrees.

More than 2,900 students including 81 PhDs of 2013 will be decorated with degrees and medals.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2014