ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Skill Verification Program (SVP) by Takamol Saudi Arabia and NAVTTC Pakistan was launched on Tuesday for skilled Pakistani workforce to enhance employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
The Launching Ceremony was held at the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and the Deputy Minister for International Affairs from Saudi Arabia Dr. Adnan Al-Nuaim witnessed the event along with other senior officials of both Countries.
The NAVTTC is mandated to conduct skills and competencies tests with an aim to provide Pakistani workforce with authentic certification which has been made a prerequisite for all skill visas for employments.
In pilot phase, the trade testing will be conducted in 12 assessment centers for 1,000 Candidates, desirous of working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Successful candidates will be issued authentic and internationally recognized joint certificate by both Takamol and NAVTTC, through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment.
On this occasion, the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood said that Pakistan will be the first Country to empower expatriate Pakistani workforce with globally recognized skill certification and enhance the flow of qualified & aptly skilled Pakistani workers to international labor market particularly to KSA.
This will ultimately expand the prospects of the right employment/skill visas opportunities for supplementing their remuneration and contributing substantially to Pakistan’s economy.
The minister further added that this important cooperation between both Countries will prove to be a hallmark for enhancing the employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani work force and will also safeguard the existing Pakistani workforce in Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi Deputy Minister for International Affairs Dr. Adnan Al-Nuaim assured the full support regarding implementation of the Skill Verification Program and hoped that this will enhance the employment opportunities of Pakistani skilled labour and further strengthen the bilateral relations with Pakistan.
The CEO-Takamol Dr. Ahmad Abduljabbar AlYamani said that today’s event will prove to a milestone in facilitating the Pakistani skilled workforce to gain employment.
Dr. Ahmad Abduljabbar AlYamani also assured NAVTTC full cooperation from Takamol in the smooth and timely testing and certification of Pakistani skilled workforce.
Most of the present Pakistani workforce in the KSA fall in the category of un-skilled or semi-skilled labour, which means reduced remunerations and it also impacts remittances negatively.
Moreover, in the changing scenario of labour laws and dynamics of the labour market overseas, a large number of Pakistani skill workforce require skills certification as presently they face non-recognition of their qualifications, skills and certification.
This skill verification program between NAVTTC Pakistan and Takamol Saudi Arabia will help a large number of these workers, also leading to national productivity and development.
In the end, Shafqat Mahmood appreciated the efforts of NAVTTC under leadership of the Chairman NAVTTC Syed Javed Hassan and Executive Director NAVTTC Sajid Baloch to achieve this hallmark far-reaching program between NAVTTC and Takamol.
It is expected that millions of Pakistani skilled workers will get gainful employment opportunities with higher earning as a result of the efforts of NAVTTC and the government of Pakistan.
Shafqat Mahmood also said that in pilot phase candidates will not be charged any fee for testing and certification.
