To improve the skills sector in Punjab, the European Union, Germany, and Norway handed over a modernized Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to the Government of Punjab in a ceremony on Friday, Dec 09. The new facility is the result of an upgradation of an existing TVET centre which has been supported by a TVET Sector Support Programme and funded by the European Union (EU), the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Norwegian government. Opening the handover ceremony, Chief Operating Officer TEVTA Punjab, Akhtar Abbas Bharwana said that “The provincial government and TEVTA Punjab will responsibly utilize the resources and modern machinery. This facility opens new corridors of opportunities for learning, not only for youth but also for the teachers in Punjab.” He also appreciated the efforts of the development partners and donors for upgrading the technical training institute into a state of the art Centre of Excellence. The Center has been provided with the latest technologies and training opportunities for youth and teaching staff in the province to develop an effective e training environment to build competent and competitive workforce. Modern lab facilities, career counselling and job placement services would be available under one roof. Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Ovidiu Mic, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to Pakistan, said “the TVET sector has always been a priority for the European Union in the socio-economic development of Pakistan. The center with its state-of-the-art equipment sets out a new vision and is a hallmark for delivering quality training within the TVET sector. We hope that this Centre will become the blueprint for other public and private sector institutes in aligning TVET with international standards”. The Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Dr Sebastian Paust, highlighted “the great potential in not only relying on jobs but entrepreneurship models in Punjab under the umbrella of the Centre of Excellence. Germany is strongly committed to continuing its work in the skills sector of Pakistan until 2026.” Addressing the audience, Dr. Mansoor Zaib Khan, National Team Leader, GIZ Pakistan mentioned: “I hope that the Government of Punjab and TEVTA will take all measures to keep the CoE fully operational by providing the best leadership to the centre. This will ensure producing high -quality human resource and trainers for producing an excellent workforce and meeting the demands of the labour market. The chairman TEVTA speaking at the occasion appreciated the efforts of the TVET SSP and the donors for turning the institute into Center of Excellence. Chairman NAVTTC, Shahid Khan also attended the event and said that the CoE will serve as a hub to play an instrumental role in providing demand-driven training to the youth of Punjab along with training of staff while partnering at length with the private sector.