The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) will organise a two-day roundtable conference to provide vocational training to youth from Wednesday.
According to a press release, the other objective of the two-day conference, being organised in collaboration with United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), is to enable them to contribute effectively in the economic activities and harness the potential of this great source. The key stakeholders involving federal and provincial level policymakers, provincial TEVTAs, provincial education departments, provincial labour and manpower departments, chambers of industries and commerce and eminent business community from private sector would participate in the roundtable.
The key issues planned to be discussed include technical and vocational education in general school curricula, sustainable funding for TVET, raising awareness to popularize TVET as decent education and career option and coordination of TVET in the 18th Constitutional Amendment scenario.
Eminent local and foreign experts would present papers on the above themes. The roundtable is expected to come up with viable strategies, models and mechanisms to address the above-mentioned key issues.
Pakistan is a country with 60 per cent population of young people (about 100 million) below the age of 25. The government is attaching high importance to promote technical and vocational education and training (TVET) which is embodied in major policy documents such as National Education Policy 2009, National Skills Strategy 2009-13, Country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper -II, Medium Term Development Framework 2005-10 and Pakistan: New Growth Framework 2011.
Seminar on drug abuse and illicit trafficking: The speakers at a seminar on International Day of Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking have called for taking effecive measures to curb the menace of drugs in the society.
The seminar was organisd by the Global Peace Foundation with the collaboration of Rawalpindi Division Squash Association (RDSA). Global Peace Foundation President Begum Azra Gulzar, General Secretary TM Jan, RDSA President Shiekh Aamir Waheed, Chaudhry Naeem Anwar, Syed Rizwan Mashadi, Nisar Coudhary, Ch Zaheer Iqbal and other notables were present on this occasion.
Begum Azra Gulzar said that along with the authorities concerned, parents, teachers, custodians, administration of institutions and family heads should also come forward to shoulder their responsibilities to control this menace. RDSA President Shiekh Aamir Waheed sports can reduce severity of this situation so the youth should be facilitated with sport facilities. Drug addiction can be reduced by establishing more and more sport facilities, enhancing the awareness of people by launching informative websites to educate the public on how to get rid of addiction.
Syed Rizwan Mashadi quoted the UN secretary general as saying: “Our efforts to promote development and fight drugs and crime will be more effective if they are rooted in partnerships with the young, civil society, governments and the international community. Working together, we can alleviate the suffering of millions and break the hold of drugs and crime on countries, communities and families.”
Pak-China Friendship Expedition leaves for Golden Peak: A 13-member China-Pakistan Friendship Expedition left here for Skardu on Wednesday to climb the 7,027-metre high Spantik peak, also known as Golden Peak.
The expedition will depart from Skardu for Arandu by jeep from where it will start its trek on Chogmo Langma glacier to the Spantik Peak base camp. It expects to take about three weeks to climb the mountain and will establish three camps above the base camp. The two sides of the Friendship Expedition comprising both experienced and young climbers are expected to return by the end of next month. Their leaders have climbed various mountains, including 8,000-metre high peaks. Teams are as under: Chinese side: Luo Shen, Li Fuqing, Yuan Fudong, Suolang, Langi Jiaduoji and Wu Chongde. Pakistan side: Lt-Col (retd) Dr Abdul Jabbar Bhatti, Saad Muhammad, Dr. Naveed Iqbal, Zahid Hussain Rajput and two high-altitude porters from Arandu and Sadpara.
Both Pakistan and China share not only common borders but also one of the most spectacular and magnificent mountain ranges, the Karakoram, including four of the world’s high peaks rising above 8,000 meters – K-2 (8611m), Gasherbrum-I (8068m) Broad Peak (8047m) and Gasherbrum-II (8-35m). Alpine Club of Pakistan Secretary Abu Zafar Sadiq told APP that the expedition would bolster friendly ties between the two countries in the field of mountaineering and climbing. “The expedition will also help evolve youth mountaineering exchange programmes between Pakistan and China,” he added. The Friendship Expedition is being sponsored by the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan. Since 1995 Pakistan and China had launched eight joint expeditions to high mountains, including Mt. Everest, and had successfully climbed K-2, Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum-I and II.
NAVTTC and UNESCO to hold conference for youth
