ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: With the emergence of COVID-19, Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) institutes were also closed on March 13, 2020 along with formal education institutes. Since then, Technical and Vocational Training is on hold in the Country.
After witnessing improvement in the COVID-19 situation, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training convened an interprovincial TVET Ministerial Conference to discuss the possibility of gradual resumption of technical and vocational training in the Country.
All the provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan participated in the meeting and the matter was discussed in detail.
Subsequently, recommendations were also received from all the provinces and AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan.
It was recommended that since technical and vocational training is not necessarily conducted in the classroom but there are many fields where training is delivered outside the classrooms in open space and factory premises.
For instance, such construction-related trainings as heavy machinery operators, heavy vehicle driving, etc. do not need classroom teaching.
Similarly, there are trainings which take place at the factory premises and since almost the entire industry has opened up, therefore it is necessary to resume such trainings to fulfill their skilled workforce requirements.
Therefore, it was recommended that such trainings can be resumed, where classroom teaching is not involved by ensuring strict observance of COVID-19 precautionary SOPs.
Considering the recommendations received from the provinces in the (TVET) sector, the Ministry of Federal Education and Provincial Training has decided to allow technical and vocational training where no classroom teaching is involved.
This decision will be, however, strictly restricted to only such technical trainings where no classroom teaching is involved.
All technical and vocational training where classroom teaching is an integral part of the training will resume only when formal educational institutes will reopen as per the decision of the government of Pakistan.
