AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY WASTED BY CONTINUED NEGLECT
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Technical education plays a crucial role in the economic progress of any nation. Be it the example of post-war Japan or China in recent years, technical skills of a large number of people laid the foundations on which the two worked diligently to become industrial giants of the world. While conventional education play a vital role in turning around the fortunes of the masses, it remains a reality that not everyone is in a position to pursue a degree and afford the rapidly rising cost of higher education
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7628″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]or such individuals
technical and vocational training is and should be the natural alternative to make a decent, well-paying living. But many do not opt for this route to livelihood or are simply not aware of it. In US alone, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and in America that paid an average of Workforce estimated that there were over 30 million jobs $55,000 and did not require a bachelor’s degree. There are thousands of job in other part of the world as well that do not require fancy education but still pay handsomely, even Pakistan, but a lack of awareness or a criminal neglect of the sector has rendered this vastly lucrative sector useless. For such individuals, technical and vocational training is and should be the natural alternative to make a decent, well-paying living. But many do not opt for this route to livelihood or are simply not aware of it. In US alone, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce estimated that there were over 30 million jobs in America that paid an average of $55,000 and did not require a bachelor’s degree. There are thousands of job in other part of the world as well that do not require fancy education but still pay handsomely, even Pakistan, but a lack of awareness or a criminal neglect of the sector has rendered this vastly lucrative sector useless. The case for technical education has become even stronger in this age of technology. Jobs of olden days are being rapidly replaced by sophisticated machines that require skilled sets of hands to get operated. Traditional jobs like nursing, auto mechanics, electricians and lathe operators are being constantly evolved by technological advancements and the room for unskilled labor is shrinking by the day. On the other hand, opportunities for people with technical skills are only widening.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
NEGLIGENCE
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Despite tall claims of reforms in technical education, it remains intact that the sector has faced continuous neglect from successive governments. The country’s technical education sector is still far from international standards, students are being imparted technical and vocational education per decade-old methodologies. State-of-the-art machinery, well-trained teachers and modern classrooms continue to be stuff of dreams for the sector. Technical education is being imparted through various organizations and authorities set up by the federal and provincial governments. National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) is working at federal level and is supposed to provide assistance to provincial organizations working for the promotion of technical education. At provincial level, Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have set up Technical Education and Vocational Training Authorities (TEVIA) s, which are responsible for policy making, curriculum and examination in the technical and vocational education sector.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”7629″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Things get further confusing upon a closer look_ In Punjab, there are three parallel organizations with different names working for the same cause. These organizations include TEVTA Punjab, Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) and Punjab Skill Development Fund (PSDF). Although the working and operations of these departments differ from one another, but it is really hard for a common man to spot the find difference. Besides, several multinational organizations including Microsoft, City and Guilds, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Deutsche GesellschaftfurInternationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and European Union (EU) are also working in the TVET sectors for reforms and funding local organizations.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In US alone, Georgetown University’s Center on Education and Workforce estimated that there were over 30 million jobs in America that paid an average of $55,000 and did not require a bachelor’s degree.
OPPORTUNITY |