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ISLAMABAD, Jul 10 (APP): The Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development has called for urgent reforms in the country’s vocational training system to tackle Pakistan’s low labour force participation rate and improve the overseas employability of skilled workers.
The committee, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, held meeting on Thursday at National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), where members assessed the effectiveness of technical training programs and their alignment with both domestic and international job markets.
Senator Khanzada voiced concern over the shortage of skilled workers in Pakistan, noting that only 2 million individuals out of a population of 70 million are skilled.
“The labour force per capita is alarmingly low,” he said, questioning NAVTTC’s role in addressing the gap. “We must rethink our strategy if we want to compete regionally.”
NAVTTC officials presented a comparative analysis showing Pakistan’s labour force participation rate at 44.9%, well below that of Bangladesh (58.3%) and Vietnam (73.7%).
The overall employment rate of skilled individuals trained under NAVTTC stands at 53%, with a notable portion earning more than PKR 50,000 per month.
Despite these figures, the committee expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and scale of progress.
The committee also learned that 64% of skilled workers are engaged in full-time jobs, while 18% are self-employed.
Information Technology emerged as the leading employment sector (32%), followed by Construction and Energy (12%), and Banking and Finance (6%).
Over the past four years, 25,079 skilled workers trained by NAVTTC have secured overseas employment.
However, Senator Khanzada stressed the need to expand training beyond IT.
“A large number of labourers in our country remain untrained,” he said. “NAVTTC should broaden its focus to include heavy vehicle drivers, electric vehicle mechanics, welders, and technical trades essential for domestic and foreign markets.”
He also proposed targeted capacity-building in agriculture and livestock, sectors he described as “pillars of the national economy.”
A key issue raised was the lack of recent labour market data, with the last national labour survey conducted in 2021. The committee recommended that future surveys should be based on the latest national census to ensure accuracy.
Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro pointed to discrepancies in provincial quota fulfillment, noting that quotas left vacant are often reallocated instead of being readvertised.
“This reflects either a disparity or a lack of responsibility,” he said, calling for detailed reporting on province-wise training partners and sector-wise financial allocations in the next meeting.
Committee members also criticized NAVTTC for poor outreach and awareness, especially in rural areas.
They stressed the importance of spreading information about available training programs to underserved communities.
In a positive development, NAVTTC announced that students will be offered loans through the Bank of Punjab and National Bank, backed by guarantees from NAVTTC to support their education and training.
The meeting was attended by Senators Gurdeep Singh, Syed Kazim Ali Shah, Nasir Mehmood, Zamir Hussain Ghumro, and senior officials from the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development.