To Establish an International Virtual Vocational (Technical) University in Pakistan By
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To Establish an International Virtual Vocational (Technical) University 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 college education is nearly 30 Conference was held at National Institute percent of the lot. Of the total budget of Science 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. Higher education 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 break 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 Vocational Education 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 job 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 employment 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 unemployment 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 schools 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.