data/Technical_Education_in_Pakistan/Technical Education in Pakistan.txt

Technical education is a vital component in the development of any country's economy and society, and Pakistan is no exception. However, technical education in Pakistan is facing several challenges that need to be addressed through serious planning and implementation. The following are some of the latest figures and facts related to technical education in Pakistan:

Lack of quality institutions: According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, there are around 1,600 technical and vocational training institutes in the country, but only a few of them meet international standards. Moreover, the enrollment rate in technical education institutions is only 5.8%, which is lower than the world average of 9.2%.

Outdated curriculum: A recent report by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) revealed that the curriculum in technical education institutions is outdated and does not meet the needs of the current job market. This is a major reason why students graduating from these institutions are ill-prepared for the workforce.

Government support: The government’s allocation for technical and vocational education and training in the current fiscal year is PKR 6.98 billion (USD 43.7 million), which is only 0.1% of the total budget. This is a clear indication that the government has not invested enough resources in technical education.

Lack of trained and qualified teachers: According to a report by the Pakistan Council for Science and Technology, there is a shortage of qualified and trained teachers in technical education institutions. This is a major challenge as it affects the quality of education being provided to students.

Demand-supply gap: There is a significant gap between the demand and supply of skilled workers in Pakistan. According to the World Economic Forum, the country ranks 122nd out of 137 countries in terms of its capacity to retain talent. This means that many skilled workers are leaving the country, which is negatively impacting the economy.

Pakistan has several organizational bodies that oversee blue-collar training, like the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF), and the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC). The vocational training structure, at least on paper, appears to be good enough, but in reality, the country has a very shabby and fragmented vocational training system. Most of Pakistan’s blue-collar workers learn their work informally and have little to no formal academic education. Whatever vocational structure there is, it has to be democratized and spread to the less developed areas of the country and more investment is needed to hire and train new apprentices.
Another problem is the acceptance of the training credentials of blue-collar workers abroad. While Pakistani university graduates can apply to foreign universities for advanced training on their own, and later find jobs there, it is difficult for Pakistani workers to get the qualifications of locally trained workers accepted. Also, bilateral agreements between Pakistani and foreign governments are needed to export manpower to developed economies. The quality of our workers must speak for itself, and only then will there be more demand for our vocational workers. Such trained people can open up new businesses, develop new skills and disseminate this valuable knowledge to society at large.
To address these challenges, the government needs to take several steps, including:

Investing more resources in technical education: The government must allocate more funds to technical education and ensure that institutions are adequately equipped and staffed.

Updating the curriculum: The curriculum in technical education institutions must be updated to reflect the needs of the current job market. This will ensure that students graduating from these institutions are well-prepared for the workforce.

Training and development of teachers: The government should invest in the training and development of teachers to ensure that students receive a quality education.

Encouraging more students to pursue technical education: The government should provide scholarships and other incentives for students to pursue technical education. It should also work to promote technical education in rural areas.

However, to improve the quality of the imparted training, Pakistan, being a less economically developed nation, has to look towards foreign countries for the adoption of an advanced vocational training system. So, from which model can Pakistan learn the most? Compared to Europe, the United States (US) never had a structured and hierarchical guild-based system. This lack of a consolidated vocational training system persists to this very day. In Europe, there are different kinds of vocational training models, which have their roots in the guild system of the Middle Ages. Within Europe, the German model of vocational training is considered exemplary and worth emulating, even by other European countries. Therefore, as an example, this model can be studied by Pakistan’s authorities to organize the local system along modern lines.
In the end, it can be said that it is very crucial and significant that the Pakistani youth and the upcoming generations of young boys and girls capitalize on the situational demand and adopt the opportunity to play their role in the upbringing of the economy of their country. In that respect, the initial stage is to impart awareness. The utmost step is to make people aware of the deficit, the necessity of this field and how they can contribute to the national cause. If the awareness is imparted, the interest of people in this field, which is not as much popular amongst the nation as the other fields like medicine and engineering are. At any given time in the history of all civilizations, working people have always vastly outnumbered the ruling and financial elite; and it is the responsibility of these elite to inculcate in their respective societies a culture centered around acquiring knowledge and skills. Pakistan’s people are enterprising and resilient, and show great interest in acquiring new skills, as has been made evident by many encouraging examples. However, raw talent is not a substitute for proper industrial skills-based training. To uplift the ever-growing masses socioeconomically and to also incorporate them in the national and global economy, vocational training in Pakistan needs societal acceptance, a modern skill development road map and some much-needed, sustained support from the government and relevant businesses.