Provincial Minister for Labour and Human Resource Raja Ashfaq Sarwar presided over a meeting with Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) Chairman Irfan Qaiser and directed the chairman to induct as many as children as possible into the authority’s skills programmes, adding that the Punjab government was resolved to uprooting the menace of child labour.
The chairman informed the meeting that the authority has begun a new model of recognition of prior learning (RPL) that is being followed in America. “The model has been successfully piloted model in Pakistan and 28,000 RPL certificates have been distributed among skilled labour till now,” the chairman said.
Qaiser assured the minister that all 385 institutions of the TEVTA were ready to provide training for skills among children.
Sarwar directed the chairman to chalk out short term and more fruitful courses for the children so that they could be empowered to earn a living as soon as possible. For this purpose, the minister constituted a committee comprising of TEVTA and labour representatives and directed them to submit a report within two days.
The minister further added that a reasonable incentive would be given to the parents and children so as to increase their interest in skill training. He said that Rs 3000 would be given to the children at the time of admission and that they would receive Rs 2000 monthly stipends through Khidmat Cards. Those students showing good results will be appreciated and rewarded in order to encourage other students, the minister added.
The labour secretary, labour DG, PVTC managing director, child labour project director, and other representatives also attended the meeting.