LAHORE, Oct 20: The Planning Commission has approved an amount of Rs321 million for the establishment of CAD/CAM centres in five industrial towns of the country.

According to a spokesman for Technology Upgradation and Skill Development Company (TUSDEC) on Thursday, the funds for the centres being set up in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta and Sialkot would be released soon under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP).

The centres will impart training in the fields of computer-aided designing (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), with an ultimate objective of promoting digital manufacturing in the country.

CAD/CAM techniques are relied upon worldwide for product design and manufacturing. These are vital to enhance productivity in the industrial sector, besides increasing the competitiveness in the domestic and international markets.

Over the last few years, the level of awareness of the importance of these technologies has grown considerably in Pakistan’s industries.

Some industrial sectors like automobiles, home appliances, engineering products, textiles and construction have subsequently started shifting from traditional manufacturing practices to modern design approaches.

However, the lack of skilled manpower for the running CAD/CAM based units is the major challenge being faced by the local industry.

In order to bridge this gap, TUSDEC took the initiative to establish these centres, which will be linked with NIDA (National Institute of Design and Analysis) as a hub.

The centres will provide basic as well as advanced CAD/CAM training. The initiative will help launch a career for its students and create capacity in digital manufacturing systems for assimilations in Pakistan.

According to the TUSDEC spokesman, these centres will impart training to the industrial staff, engineers and technologists using computer systems and latest software used by industries globally.

Some 14,000 students will be trained in three years at all the centres, thus creating employment opportunities for the skilled workforce.