KARACHI, May 29: Federal Minister for Labour and Overseas Pakistanis Ghulam Sarwar Khan has described the performance of all four provinces in vocational training as ‘disappointing’. Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, the federal minister pointed out that Workers Welfare Fund was collected by the federal government through the CBR while provincial labour departments identified and implemented the schemes for which funds were released by the federal ministry of labour.

“A review of the report pertaining to the performance of provinces in this regard shows that they are using less than 50 per cent of the funds. All the governors and chief ministers have been sent letters separately to inform them that the provincial Workers Welfare Fund is not being fully utilized.”

He also regretted the projects were not being completed within the stipulated time and the funds were not being utilized properly.

Mr Khan recalled that the prime minister, in his first address to the nation, had stated that 300,000 people would be imparted technical and vocational training every year.

To look in the possibility of attaining the target, meetings with provincial authorities had been held and it transpired that only 96,000 people could be provided such training, he said, and regretted that Sindh still lagged far behind even in attaining the smaller target as only 3,500 people were being imparted vocational training in this province annually, although it appeared quite ahead in terms of population and industries.

In Sindh, he said, there was a greater requirement of skilled workers for local industries as well as those of foreign countries.

Keeping in view the situation, he said, the National Training and Vocational and Educational Authority was now being established with an initial funding of Rs500 million. The amount, he added, would be increased later.

He said that under the plan, training centres would be set up in the areas where polytechnic institutes did not exist whereas vocational institutes would be opened in the areas which did not have such institutes.

Mr Khan said that master trainers would be provided to the existing institutes and the training equipment available there would be improved.

MEETING WITH CM: The issues related to the revamping of technical and vocational training facilities in Sindh came under review at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Federal Minister for Labour Ghulam Sarwar Khan at the CM’s House here on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by secretaries of education and labour departments and director of technical education, Sindh.

The federal minister informed the meeting that an authority had been established at national level with an initial allocation of Rs500,000 to help promote technical and vocational training facilities in the country.

He said a new policy had been formulated under which at least one polytechnic institute would be set up at taluka level across the country.

The chief minister directed officials of the education department to arrange a comprehensive briefing for him on existing network of technical and vocational training facilities in the province and future requirements so that the same could be taken up with the federal government for funding.

He underlined the need for a close coordination between the technical education department and local industries in order to provide youth training in the trades which were in great demand in the industrial sector.

He said efforts were required for making all technical education and vocational training centres fully operational in collaboration with the private sector.

The meeting also reviewed the position of fund utilization in the federally-funded projects being implemented under the Workers Welfare Board.

Ghulam Sarwar Khan expressed his concern the funds utilized in all provinces appeared below 50 per cent. He asked the officials of the labour department, Sindh, to gear up the pace of fund utilization to complete the projects within the stipulated time.

He informed the meeting that some 80,000 youth were completing their technical and vocational training in Punjab every year, but Sindh was lagging behind in this respect with less than half the number being attained.

He held out the assurance that the federal government would provide adequate funds if the Sindh government came out with an elaborate programme in this regard.

The meeting was apprised of the technical and vocational training facilities made available in the province and the problems being faced by the education and technical education departments in the wake of the devolution process.—APP