Faiza Tehseen

Equipping Pakistani workers with the necessary skills would help them get lucrative jobs abroad.

"A well-trained and skilled workforce contributes to the country’s economy through increased remittances that bring stability to the balance of payments,” stressed a senior official of the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.

Speaking to WealthPK on condition of anonymity, he said Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) and Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) had initiated a comprehensive training programme to equip the workforce with compulsory technical skills required in the global market.

“It will be ensured that the participants of the training meet the international standards, particularly in job markets of Japan, South Korea, Europe, and Gulf Cooperation Council nations.” The ministry official said that the initiative would enable Pakistani job seekers to bridge the skill gap in the international job market.

“The training modules offered by OEC and PVTC encompass a variety of sectors, including hospitality, construction, tourism, healthcare, and information technology.” The official said: “To enhance the employability prospects, successful trainees will be awarded certifications, widely  recognised by international employers.” 

He said that the training programme designed by OEC and PVTC holds strategic importance for Pakistan. “It primarily aims to increase the number and demand of Pakistani professionals across the global job markets. It will also help position Pakistan as a reliable source of skilled human capital.” 

The ministry official said: “Both OEC and PVTC are committed to expanding the scope of their training programmes in future by adding more training centres across Pakistan and more skills.”

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis official said OEC will connect the trainees with lucrative job opportunities under government-to-government labour mobility programme such as the Employment Permit System of Korea and Technical Intern Training Programme and Specified Skilled Worker of Japan.

“All these programmes will enable the Pakistani workers to adapt, communicate, and integrate into diverse workplaces.” “Efforts are underway to strengthen partnerships and to streamline the regulations with different development organisations and foreign missions.

So, the collaboration of OEC and PVTC is not a one-off initiative of the government; it is part of a much bigger push to integrate efforts between federal and provincial institutions to build a ready-to-export talented Pakistani workforce,” the ministry official said. 

Meanwhile, talking to WealthPK, Ali Sher Khan, a job promoter and chief executive officer of a foreign employment consultancy agency – Aiteza International – said the OEC-PVTC initiative would place Pakistani human capital not only in common but also in key jobs abroad. 

“It will increase the reliability and demand for Pakistani skilled workers.” He said that overseas Pakistanis are power generators to boost the economy.

“If they are trained to perform their jobs or services according to the demand in global markets, they will make their place there as excellent workforce and will earn handsomely,” Sher Khan said, and called for launching in-kind training centres across the country. 

Credit: INP-WealthPk