Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to introduce Matric-tech course in vocational institutes

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Technical Education and Mineral Development, Mehmoodzeb Khan on Friday said that the provincial government is working on the introducing Matric-Tech course in technical and vocational institutes to promote skills in students.
He was addressing a presentation on Provincial Skill Development Action Plan, KP held under the auspices of GIZ-German Technical Support here in a local hotel. Besides, the representative of GIZ, senior officers of the directorate of technical education also attended the presentation.
The presentation was part of the series of activities launched with the support of GIZ for the preparation of Skill Development Action Plan for KP. In this connection a workshop was also organised four months back in which both local and foreign experts read out their research papers on skill development.
The event was attended by different stakeholders, which also launched work on planning for the establishment of Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) in KP. The minister said that TEVTA is working on inclusion of Matric-Tech scheme in the annual development programme for next financial year. Under the scheme 40 colleges and vocational institutes will be established in the province to cover all uncovered areas of the province. He said that the technical training equal to the certificate of Secondary Education will be started as soon as possible.
The minister was of the view that general and commerce education in the province had registered sufficient increase and now the turn is for the promotion of technical and vocational education. He said that a brief in this regard has been prepared, saying beside public sector it will also be started in private institutes. He said that they will also discuss the issue with Elementary Education to organize their workshops.
For the filling of 18 vacant posts in the new structure of TEVTA, he hinted at raising the issue with the department of finance and given a 15-day deadline for preparation of rules to make recruitments on them. Mehmoodzeb said that the provincial government has realised that TVET activities are much needed for the economic development and prosperity of the country as well as for inhabitants of the province.
He said that the provincial government has included a number of development schemes in the ADP for further strengthening and expansion of TVET activities. The new schemes will focus on the rehabilitation of the existing training centres, up-gradation, removal of deficiencies and establishment of new institutions in the uncovered areas of the province.
Realizing the problems and various issues in implementation of the existing training system the present government, he said has decided to replicate Punjab TVETA model in the KP, which will be an autonomous and decision making body for TVET sector in the province. He expressed the hope that full operational of TEVT will improve training system and will serve the purpose to produce competent and flexible workforce.
The provincial minister said that efforts will be made to negotiate with foreign and local donor agencies for financial and technical support of the training system in the province to bring technical training at par with the international standards and requirements of the labour market.