LAHORE: Industrialists announced their support for the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) for producing a skilled labor force. Around 20 top industrialists and businessmen of Pakistan called upon TEVTA Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh on Friday at TEVTA Secretariat. The industrialists and businessmen included Mian Abdullah, Naveed Yousuf, Saith Akbar, Syed Akram, Ali Moin, Javed, Hassnain, Ayesha Ahad of Hunar Foundation and many others were present on occasion. Industrialists said that TEVTA’s performance was outstanding and other provinces should also follow that how TEVTA provided thousands of youngsters with latest technical and vocational skills. While addressing the industrialists, Chairman Irfan Qaiser Sheikh briefed the three-year performance of TEVTA and demanded industrialists to provide their pass outs with at least 25,000 per month. He said that TEVTA was providing skilled labour force to industries. He said that three years ago, when he had taken charge as TEVTA chairman, he had decided to invest Rs 2,000 million developmental budget on training of youth. He went on saying that before him, this amount was being spent on construction of new buildings, but he started several need-based short courses which could provide immediate job opportunities to youth. “Besides, Rs 1000 per student stipend was also provided to the students enrolled in these courses. After one year, there was an amount of Rs 800 million left behind so we decided to provide interest free loans with the help of Akhuwat Foundation with this amount,” he said. He also informed industrialists that TEVTA did not rely on industry for provision of job for its graduates therefore it started courses on other fields including information technology (IT), Chinese and English language and personal grooming, driving, call center and hospitality. He informed that space was shrinking in industrial sector which was the reason behind TEVTA’s decision to provide youngsters new horizons. Irfan Qaiser also observed that in IT sector, TEVTA provided training to 30 thousand youth with the support of world’s renowned Microsoft which charge only 8 dollars per student for certification. Similarly recently Oracle another leading IT company had signed agreement to provide free of cost IT training to students enrolled in TEVTA IT programs, he said. The TEVTA chairman went on saying that another important course for training of paramedical staff will also be started soon. In this regard TEVTA signed MoU with Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University to provide training to youth in assistant nursing and other paramedical staff. Besides TEVTA also focuses more upon quality than quantity and this was the reason that it has trained youngsters with several international organizations included Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Turkish International Cooperation Agency (TIKA), GIZ of Germany, USAID, Microsoft, globally acclaimed City and Guilds, Irfan Qaiser Sheikh also demanded industrialist to only support TEVTA but also to highlight more sectors which could not only provide immediate job opportunities to youth but with salary more than 22 thousand per month. Published in Daily Times, January 20th 2018.