How the skills training transform lives?

ISLAMABAD Nov 5, 2013: “It was not my education, but my technical skill which has succeeded me in earning livelihood respectfully,” said Elvena Rauf, a master degree holder in communication studies, who recently received a short-term training on online business development after being remaining jobless for quite some time.

She is now not only well trained as how to access the international online business, but has also started earning through undertaking freelance assignments from her clients, while staying at home located at Gojal valley of the Giligit Baltistan (GB).

Her was not the single success story of how vocational training can transform lives, but a dozens of similar success stories, emerged as a result of short term skill training initiated under a newly set up Fund for Innovative Training (FIT), were shared at FIT Hunar Mela (Skill festival) special event organized here in Islamabad.

FIT has been set up under TVET Reform Support Programme/GIZ, which is co-funded by the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Federal Republic of Germany, to support the TVET reform in Pakistan by stimulating innovative approaches in the skill development. Through 24 different projects vocational training is being imparted across Pakistan in different trades, benefiting over 40,000 Pakistanis.

To create awareness about the importance of the skill development, the event offered an opportunity to the skilled people to share their success stories and experiences.

A transgender from Lahore Aashi shared her success story, saying that she used to begging on the roads before receiving training on stitching from a local vocational training Centre under a FIT project, administered by the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC). Now she is a skilled person in the society and not only earns livelihood respectfully, but also she had trained and employed two other persons from the transgender community at her home. She suggested arranging more such trainings programs for the transgender community so that they can relinquish begging and earn respectfully.

Ms. Diasy, a female entrepreneur belonging to Christian community from Lahore shared her success experience and said that after receiving training under one of the FIT projects, she is now earning Rs 30,000 to 40,000 per month by stitching uniform for various schools.

Mr. Shah Mehmood Mohmand, from Mohmand Agency FATA shared his success story of being getting training in social entrepreneurship by establishing “Rala Cricket Academy” in his native village. He stated that through the centre, a large number of cricket training classes were conducted and youth from the area were engaged in healthy activities. He said that youth training camps also organized in different areas. The training centre not only engaged the youth in the healthy activities, but also proved to be good source of livelihood for him, where he receive fee by imparting cricket training.

Mr. Sajjad Haider, who managed one of the FIT projects at Vocational Training Institute (VTI) Chunia, said that the institute had launched a one year skill development project for transgender and women and trained 50 transgender and 70 female. Of them around 70 per cent of them were employed in factories on attractive packages.

In his winding up speech, Mohammad Ali Khan, Manager Communication, TVET Reform Support Programme/GIZ shed light on the importance of technical skills and cited example of Germany where 60 per cent of population first receives technical education prior starting formal education. He said that we should also develop the culture of technical expertise to promote the culture of self-employment.