To Establish an International Virtual Vocational (Technical) in Pakistan by

Farid Zafar, Assistant Professor SZABIST – Islamabad, Pakistan much higher as compared to the Introduction: developed world. The population that In September, 2007, an International goes for education is nearly 30 Conference was held at National Institute percent of the lot. Of the total budget of and Technical Education amount, only 2 to 3 percent of it is spent (NISTE), Islamabad Pakistan. The topic on education. There are only a few was Entrepreneurship and Poverty vocational institutes in the country and Reduction. In the closing remarks, the those which are there do not have chief guest, the then Educational Minister adequate tools to produce real of the Pakistan, Mr. Javed Ashraf Qazi professionals. Due to lack of knowledge told us an awakening story. He said and I and skills, the country has ‘jacks of all quote: “Couples of years back, I went to and masters of none.’ Current crisis of Dubai and met with their labor minister. I ‘war on terror’ has further forced the praised the development and the pace of country on the back foot. More is spent development in that country and he was on defense than on education and human very thankful. I enquired from him as to development. is why they were not employing Pakistanis available but it is limited and for this phase of there development.” He unaffordable to the millions. Pakistan has replied, “Mr. Minister, few years back we far too long remained in low-level skills were building road, we were digging trap and if it was a move into the wells and we were moving sand from the knowledge economy then it must deserts, we needed muscle power and you out of this trap (Amjad, 2005). The could see Pakistanis working every situation is bleak and needs immediate where. Today we are busy in building attention. state of the art stuff, we need skilled people and unfortunately you don’t have Pakistan’s workforce is characterized as any.” having low skills and poorly prepared to compete in today’s globalized world. The idea of establishing a virtual Rapid technological changes now require vocational university was conceived in individuals to learn and relearn skills that conference. This paper will throw throughout their working lives by light on how is it possible, who will ensuring its relevance and effectiveness benefit from it, what will be the (Kazmi 2007). modalities, who will finance and what The situation has worsened due to the will be the ultimate goal to achieve. rapid change in the international scenario. Globalization and emergence of huge Background: economic hubs across the borders in China and India has further deteriorated Pakistan is a country which is rich in the economic situation of the country. human capital. The workforce percentage The roaring energy prices and opening of of total population of 170 millions is borders for the foreign products has country that is desperately short of further increased trade deficit. Foreign foreign exchange. reserves are going down and assistance is being sought from IMF and World Bank Japan was a country, most devastated in to bring economy back on track. the Second World War. The major industrial cities were raised to ground by Unhealthy political situation in the the atomic bombs but that country country and inefficient governance has emerged stronger than before. Its further put pressure on the economic technical skill is second to none in the situation in the country. After having entire world. Reason: The country had some good years from the start of this three engineers out of every ten people century, the poverty level is again on the that lived in that land. Economically rise. Joint family system has sustained speaking, today Japan is one of the top some pressure but it has become difficult three nations of the world. to provide all facilities that are necessary for the daily life. In Pakistan, skills Technical and development has been most neglected Available in the Country area. The country has neither been able to Countries that have grown and attained improve vocational and skills nor higher rate of development spend more could inculcate the creative and cognitive money on human resource development. skills. The lack of focus on interpersonal Countries like Taiwan, Thailand, and social skills has resulted in loss of Singapore, Malaysia and Singapore and output, exports and and slow many more that achieved prudence in growth of living standards (Kazmi, 2007). global workplace and in economic gains, invested heavily in human resource A few examples can be quoted here. development in the initial stages of Pakistan had a very sound handicraft development (Khan, 2005). export business few years ago. It is diminishing every year. The reason is that Elementary education must impart usable people continue to work on the tools and technical knowledge Vocational techniques of their ancestors when more education can be used effectively to advanced machinery is available. The combat dropouts (Grubb, 1985). Vocation industry is being hit badly because education is effective answer to reduce customers need more refined products and migration to urban rather than the ones being offered. centers (Lillis and Hogan, 1983). These issues have been very carefully studied A more recent example is about mobile and addressed in my work. Technical and phones. Pakistan is a country that has 95 vocational education can be looked at million active mobile phone users. There from two angles. One for those who are may be a few millions mobile phones on already on job and need training to the shops for sale. But of the 100 million enhance their skills and two the ones that mobile phones that are in use, not a single have little knowledge but established one is made in Pakistan. If we put an their business after being in training at a average price of $100/mobile phone then substandard workshop. Then there are nearly US$10 billion has flown out of a people who have little or no knowledge, are jobless and are prepared to do any

odd job for their living. Our project works around those who are running their Table-1: Vocational and Technical training own business and wish to improve upon institutes in Pakistan (2004) their skills and those who have no skills Province Institute Number Capacity Punjab Technical 402 83,000 and are jobless. The purpose is to create and people who are capable, focused and Vocational more professional to cater for the needs Punjab Vocational 60 15,000 of global business workforce. In doing so, Training we can also effectively reduce Council DMT Sindh Vocational 33 3,740 unemployment and poverty in the TE & VT Technical 35 3,300 country. NWFP and Vocation Pakistan is a country that has four DMT Vocational 12 1,730 provinces. Two of which, Punjab and Sindh Baluchistan have well established educational system Skill Contractual 25,000 Development Basis while NWFP has recently suffered from the Federal Ministry of 2 1,500 insurgents and many of the girls Labor were destroyed to limit education to the Federal Ministry of 2 1,400 boys only. This deprives the 50% Education population from formal education. Private 70,000 Baluchistan is the biggest province area Apprentices Total 546 204,670 wise. The population is scanty and thus DMT: Directorate of Manpower and Training does not have the resources to provide TE & VT: Techinical education and vocational adequate infrastructure to its masses. Then education Source ADB (2005) there is feudalism which does not permit the poor to get educated. Baluchistan is the For a population of 170 millions, this province that is rich in mineral resources. number is ‘insignificant.’ All these Ironically, it is the most backward of the institutes are in place from a number of four provinces. This has created a sense of years. Their tools and equipment is either deprivation. People react by blowing up the obsolete or not there in number. In gas pipelines and railroads to record their majority of the cases, the technical staff is agitation. This causes a massive security not qualified or totally skilled. As can be and law and order situation in the region. seen some of the institutes are being run This has also increased the maintenance by the federal and provincial cost of the facilities that are available in governments, thus the opportunity is that land. available to only those where the government is focused. There are some Currently, there are only a few vocational prerequisites to enter these institutes and institutes in the country. The ones that are many would have no chance as they working are more focused on capacity would not be qualified. According to building and the one qualifying from such (Kazmi, 2007), the government must institutes can work around to support the invest properly according to requirement family. As per the figures provided by of these institutes. The technical ADB 2005, the total capacity of training education and vocational training people from 546 polytechnic and authority needs substantial improvement. vocational institutes is 204,670. However, the current situation in the country is not supportive of government Labs and workshops will be set up across efforts. the country. Raw material, tools and reading material would also be made Like in many developing countries, there available through these workshops. is a great difference in what is on the Initially some of the training will be paper and how it is being implemented. outsourced to the places where With the ups and downs of political infrastructure is in place and qualified situation in the country, most of the plans professional could accommodate and do not get to their logical end. So as to educate students to required standards. support my plan on this vocational Later on, such training activities could university, here is a table that can give us take place in the institutes that are the capability and effectiveness of the established by this university. existing technical and vocational institutes. The quality of students and the The reason why I call it an International skills produced by these institutes can be university is that the instructors will be reviewed from the following table: hired from the countries where a) massive development is taking place in that field Table 2: Abilities Developed during Training of production and b) where there is a big of Polytechnic/Vocational Institutes demand for qualified workers. Qualified Aspects of Polytechnic Vocational foreign professionals will be hired and Evaluatio Programs Program n their lectures will be records for onwards poor Fair Good Poor Fair Good delivery to the students. Lectures will be Technical 46 41 13 28 60 12 translated in the local languages to make Concept the students comprehend. Theses Practical 55 33 12 27 54 19 instructors will also be responsible to Skills Repair 55 37 8 27 58 15 prepare the final examination process. Maint. Only students declared passed by them Comm. 63 29 8 44 48 8 will qualify for the certificate from this Skills university. This will eliminate the Safety 46 40 14 31 54 15 biasness from the system. The students Conscious Quality 43 43 14 28 60 12 that qualify from this university will thus Mindedne be able to establish a setup of their own in ss the country. They will also be able to get Others 33 67 - - 100 - in the countries where the Source: ADB (2005) need of such technicians exists. Qualified

technicians would not only be able to Methodology The purpose of this university will be to boost the growth of the country but would select, register and educate students in a also qualify to fill in the skilled that few disciplines at the start and then will are available internationally and thus earn expand to cater for more disciplines the much needed foreign exchange for the gradually. The education will be country. implemented through a television channel/ recorded video media that will Another purpose of this university is to be available through the university educate everybody in the country who website. Practical education will be has the potential and wishes to know mandatory for some of the disciplines. more to improve upon his personal skills.

He may not wish to be a student of the Like any other university, this university university but would certainly be able to will also have a physical office. The benefit from the education imparted office will comprise of administrative through electronic media. Only the ones block that would scrutinize applicants, that are registered and have obtained collect fee, do the registration online, vocational education will go through the notify, dispatch necessary information final examination. All the others will get and be available for all correspondence the awareness and would be able to apply work. There will be a 0800 number and a this knowledge when stuck in a situation UAN number that would be available for for which they currently need a any inquiry at any point in time. Then technician. there will be an educational block that would have professional people who are Initially, any person who has obtained a well aware of the international markets. matriculation certificate and attained the These professionals can be hired from age of 16 years will be qualified to appear different and compensated on for registration.. Unlike many other meeting basis. These professionals will universities, there will be no upper age help set the direction of the university limit. The desired education level of program. They will also be responsible to matriculation can be ignored initially to select and hire virtual instructors enable uneducated jobless people to make worldwide. Another important section of the best use of it. Gradually, the this university will be dealing with the admission standard can be improved once procurement, storage and dispatch of the university is well established and it stuff to the students. The workshop has attained a desired value. All the male selection, scheduling and student and female population in the country is allocation will be a part of this eligible to take benefit from this free on department. This department will also be air service to improve upon their personal responsible in acquiring the necessary skills which may be handy in an tools that may be important part of the emergency when help is not around the training and practical working. Business corner. to business and business to customer services can also be acquired to facilitate The university will have a website that students. will provide all the information about the subjects on which training is being How will the program work: provided. It will also highlight the new The program will work in three stages. In programs in the pipeline. It would cater -1, the basic knowledge about the for downloading of forms for registration, components and tools is provided. This submission of online payments, and list will enable the student to know the of successful students, course outlines, importance of each component and its course material, and instructor’s profile. function in the product. The second stage Qualified university students will also get is focused on the assembly of the auto-generated mails for any job that may components and making the final be available in any part of the world. This product. Once students get the experience website will be dynamic and change as of manufacturing a complete product, per the needs and requirements. they would be able to make suggestions and improvements that could help in developing a new product altogether. The We are also targeting students who would third stage will focus on quality. Quality like to learn skills and be able to grab a tools like; Six Sigma, the ISO 9000s, the job in the local and international markets. role of audit and inspection and final The effect of this program will generate rolling out of the product will be an entrepreneurial environment that will emphasized. Thus the culture of produce new products and adequately acceptance and rejection and their support the local demands and reduce implications will be made known to the dependency on foreign goods. students. Due to globalization, the countries are Financing: busy in obtaining competitive advantage Financing is the backbone of any and marketing their products in all parts business. Irrespective of its nature, funds of the world. Those countries that are not are needed to put a step forward in any in the race are being left far behind. Our direction. Universities are not built to program will provide a competitive make money rather their job is to provide advantage for the individuals and the the much needed knowledge that could organizations that would enhance improve the image of a person in productivity and thus reduce dependency particular and the country on the whole. on foreign products and saving much The purpose of this university is to needed foreign exchange. Once the promote the image of the country and program produces skilled people and they enable people to live a better life. It is make a place in the society, we are assumed that all those industries that are confident that many sponsors and short of real technical people and who are companies in the country will step in need of improved workmanship will forward, join hands and expand this finance. Government of Pakistan should program country wide and benefit the be there to support; after all, this mission entire nation. is to improve the image of the country. Higher Education Commission (HEC), an References: organization that promotes education in 1. Amjad, Rashid (2005) Sills and the country would be very keen to closely Competitiveness: Can Pakistan Break Out of the Low-Level Skills Trap? The monitor and support as this would add a Pakistan Development Review 44:4. new dimension to their portfolio. 2. Asian Development Bank (2005) “Improving Technical Education and Conclusion Vocational training strategies for Asia, As the saying goes “Rome was not built Asian Development Bank, Manila. 3. Asian Development Bank, “Improving in a day.” Our program will also not TEVT Strategies for Asia,” 2004 produce something dynamic overnight. http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/T With appropriate marketing, we are ech_Educ_Voc_Training/ confident to attract many people who are 4. Balogh, Thomas (1969) Education and currently unemployed and find it difficult Agrarian Progress in Developing Countries, pp. 259-68. to sustain their basic needs. The other 5. Kazmi, Syeda Wadiat (2007) Vocational groups of people that would be interested Education and Skill Development: Case are the ones who produce substandard of Pakistan. SAARC Journal of HRD stuff that has lost its market and want to V3. N.1 2007 change into something more productive.