EU to provide further €45 million to support TVET reform in Pakistan

Islamabad, 2^ndDecember 2016: The European Union remains the biggest donor in Pakistan to support national level projects in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector. With the provision of further €45 million, the EU will provide support to the ongoing reform in the TVET sector focusing on equipping the young people with employable skills in Pakistan.

After successful implementation of two projects (TVET I and II) in the TVET sector during the past five years, the support from the European Union will be extended for the implementation of a third programme (TVET III) which is expected to begin in January 2017 for a period of five years.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH will continue to implement the reform programme as lead technical agency in close collaboration with the National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) and other public and private sector organizations across the country.

This was announced at the signing ceremony for the implementation agreement between the European Union and GIZ organized by the European Union Delegation Office here on Friday. The European Union Ambassador Mr. Jean-François Cautain, the German Ambassador Ms. Ina Lepel, a number of senior government officials, leading employers and representatives of various donors and international technical agencies attended the ceremony. The European Union Ambassador Mr. Jean-François Cautain, Country Director GIZ Pakistan Dr. Julie Reviere and Head of Programme Mr. Hans-Ludwig Bruns signed the implementation agreement on behalf of their respective organizations.

In his remarks Ambassador Jean-François Cautain termed TVET as a ‘flagship sector’ for EU’s support to Pakistan. Highlighting the importance of the sector for Pakistan, Ambassador Cautain said: “Our support to the TVET sector goes in hand with the advancement in China Pakistan Economic Corridor. Pakistan would need skilled labour in various sectors in upcoming years to meet the demand with the expected economic progression”.

The two ongoing EU funded TVET projects will end in December 2016. Support to TVET sector in Pakistan (TVET I) had EU funding of €20 million with an objective to provide TVET services to the marginalised communities predominantly in rural areas.  Supporting TVET Reform in Pakistan (TVET II) was launched in April 2011 to support the Government of Pakistan in improving access, equity, quality and relevance of the TVET sector. The total cost of the programme was €50.3 million. In addition to the contribution of €26 million from the European Union, the governments of the Netherlands, Germany and Norway also extended their financial contribution.

While appreciating the achievements of TVET I and TVET II, Ambassador Jean-François Cautain encouraged the Government on timely endorsement of the National TVET Policy “as it forms the basis for the continuation of our support in this sector”, he said.

TVET III is aimed at scaling up the reform process based on the national TVET policy and the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF), launched in March 2015. Apart from laying a strong foundation for a modernized TVET system, the programme will also support provision of demand driven TVET training to 48,500 people of which 30% will be women.

It will also support the upgradation of four centres of competence for the teacher training across Pakistan, to improve the quality of teaching method in the TVET sector,. The Programme will specifically focus on enhancing the engagement of the private sector in TVET planning and delivery.