ISLAMABAD: A two-month vocational training programme has been launched to prepare 100 Pakistani workers for employment in Chinese-invested projects in the country.
The programme, organised by Kasb-e-Kamal Vocational Centre in collaboration with CIIC and local technical training institution KEK, will train 50 candidates in low-voltage electrical work and 50 in riveting.
Successful candidates will be assessed and given priority for employment in relevant projects, including those of PowerChina.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Wang Kang, General Manager of CIIC Technology Group, and Huang Ju, Director of its International Business Development Department, said the training would also include Chinese-language instruction and workplace safety.
They said the initiative aimed to enhance the technical skills of local workers and create employment opportunities while helping Chinese enterprises meet their workforce requirements.
The CIIC chairman said the organisation had trained 25 welders in Pakistan last year, three of whom were subsequently employed in PowerChina projects. He added that partner organisations had expressed satisfaction with the technical skills and performance of Pakistani workers.
Representatives of five Chinese state-owned enterprises operating in Pakistan, including PowerChina, China Electrical Equipment, Harbin Electric International, China Nuclear Industry Fifth Construction Company and China MCC Group, were also participating in the programme.
The initiative also aims to enable young Pakistanis to acquire marketable skills, secure better employment and improve their incomes while working in their own country.
The CIIC chairman called on Chinese enterprises to strengthen cooperation with local partners and develop an integrated system of recruitment, training, certification and employment.
Ahmed Younis, Chief Executive Officer of Kasb-e-Kamal, said the centre, in collaboration with CIIC, had trained 14 electrical engineers.
He said developing skilled human resources was essential for the country’s progress, adding that training young people in modern technical fields would help strengthen the national economy.
Participants in the electrical training programme said they were also receiving Chinese and English language instruction alongside technical training.