Overseas Pakistanis, HR Development: HEC working on introducing portal for global certificate verification

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Thursday informed a sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development that it is working on introducing a portal for worldwide certificate verification.

The sub-committee which met here with Senator Rukhsana Zuberi in the chair, discussed various issues faced by those seeking employment abroad especially Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

The officials from the Pakistan Institute of Management requested the panel to issue directives to the HEC to provide certification to labourers working abroad to mitigate potential issues.

The convener recommended the HEC to incorporate language skills, digital literacy, and knowledge of local laws into the curriculum for overseas employees.

The committee discussed the training and certifications of overseas employees in detail, emphasizing international recognition and compliance with global standards.

In addressing 650,000 employees who returned from abroad, the officials from different ministries said that they have prioritised their needs and are committed to enhancing their skill sets.

Besides, Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt inquired from the institutes about data for policy-making regarding short and long courses.

The officials from Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Center (PITAC) said that through case studies, they have found that 34 percent of overseas employees were jobless.

They also noted the challenges in approaching overseas students outside of GCC countries.

The ministry officials collectively agreed to regularise conducting thorough research to determine the accurate turnover of overseas employees.

The discussion on the verification of overseas employees revealed challenges faced by them, particularly in the verification of certificates.

The convenor of the committee suggested merging different databases to make employee data easily retrievable.

In conclusion, she emphasised the importance of the Dublin Accord and Sydney Accord, highlighting the adverse impact of inactivity in this regard on many people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024