ISLAMABAD: The International Labour Organisation has introduced a national passport initiative that will serve as a gateway for the Pakistani migrant workers to obtain recognition of their skills and ensure decent employment opportunities for returnee migrant workers.

The National Skills Passport Initiative has been supported by the ILO project, Governance of Labour Migration in South and Southeast Asia (Goals), which is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, the ILO said in a press release issued here on Monday.

The skills passport provides a comprehensive catalogue of an individual’s skills, obtained through formal and informal channels, and provides a migrant worker with documentation of gained qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience in a systematic manner.

The initiative was discussed during a consultation jointly organised by ILO and the Employees Federation of Pakistan (EFP) in Islamabad in collaboration with the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Development. Representa­tives from the government departments, employers’ and workers’ organisations and development partners attended the consultation.

“The government recognises the increasing demand for skilled human resources in the international labour market and has been focusing on the local and international industry demand-driven skills development programmes,” said Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Labour and Human Resource Development Jawad Sohrab Malik.

He said the government has launched a digital 24/7 complaint cell called Call Sarzameen to promptly address complaints submitted by overseas Pakistanis.

ILO Country Director in Pakistan Geir Tonstol acknowledged that the government has taken commendable steps to protect the rights of migrant workers through digital registration, licensing of overseas employment promoters, authentication of foreign employment, grievance redressal mechanisms and welfare programmes for migrant workers and their families.

“Skilled labour is in increasing demand, including in the countries that received the largest share of Pakistan’s migrant workers. It is important to equip aspiring migrant workers with the right skill sets to meet the demands of the international labour market,” he added.

A former president of the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan, Majyd Aziz, said on the occasion that the National Skills Passport is not just a card, it is the digital portfolio of an individual to find a decent work opportunity locally and internationally.

“We are thankful to the ILO’s technical support for piloting innovative approaches in Pakistan including National Skills Passport and South Asia Regional Qualifica­tions Frameworks,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2023