Skills, if not developed and updated with the passage of time, become redundant and further progress of the person comes to a grinding halt which is not something good at all.
It is quite good to note that the Punjab Government is implementing a comprehensive Skills Development Programme with a target of imparting skills to two million people by end of 2018. Regular and continuous training for improving skills is essential for making headway and moving forward in one or the other specialised field.
According to the reports, TEVTA, PVTC and PSDF are the major stakeholders and training providers while 55 thousand people have already completed their skills development training during last financial year 2016-17.
Provincial Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a ministerial level committee for assessing the skill development programme and come up with innovative development initiatives under this programme. The committee has been constituted in collaboration and cooperation of all administrative departments of the provincial government in order to get maximum input from them.
The committee in its meeting in Lahore the other day reviewed the skill development strategy and growth of the provincial government in some detail. All departments have been directed to come up with the detailed reports with regard to how many labourers have been imparted skills development training so far.
Undoubtedly, set targets are being achieved in appreciable manner but still there is dire need for institutionalising the system so that there is continuity in the programme beyond 2018 also. For achieving the desired goals within the specified time all departments concerned should work together in close coordination with each other to achieve positive and good results.
Em Zee Rifat
LAHORE
