KARACHI – Addressing the China-Pakistan Skilled and Technical Educationconference, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Thar’sBlock-II alone has the capacity of producing 5,000MW, while there areseveral such blocks in the area.
“As the project enters the next phase, a large number of skilled workforcewould be required and collaborations between the educational institutionsof the two countries would go a long way in equipping Pakistan’s youth withadvance skills.”
Pakistan did not have the capacity to meet the demand for industrialworkforce arising with the unfolding of projects under China-PakistanEconomic Corridor (CPEC), he said, adding: “We should take benefit of eachothers’ experience, research and skills, as this would benefit the peopleof China and Pakistan.”
Talking about the upcoming provincial budget, Shah said that the provincialgovernment would not announce any new projects or schemes and funds wouldbe allocated only for the ongoing projects.
China-Pakistan Business and Investment Promotion Council under One-beltOne-Road (OBOR) initiative organised the skilled and technical educationconference in Karachi in collaboration with the Sindh Board of TechnicalEducation (SBTE), wherein a number of Chinese higher education institutionsare seeking collaboration and joint ventures with Pakistan’s educationalinstitutes and vocational training centres.
China-Pakistan Business and Investment Promotion Council Chairman Jack Tangsaid that the two countries signed a $46 billion project, ie, CPEC, but thequantum of Chinese investment would cross $100 billion, as several newagreements are being signed between the two countries.
“Pakistan is undergoing rapid development day-by-day and with more projectscoming up, it would need to equip its youth with the latest technology andskills, as no nation can prosper without skilled human resource, Tang said.
Over 20 higher education institutes from China have come to Pakistan,seeking collaboration with the local institutes and universities, he said.
“These collaborations would play a leading and facilitating role indevelopment the country’s human resource.”
Addressing through a video-link, Board of Investment Secretary Sumera NazirSiddiqui said that to fully reap the benefits of CPEC, it is important forthe local population to develop their skills in required fields so thatthey could support the economy rather than being a burden on the economy.
According to the international Labor Organization, CPEC would bring 400,000jobs to the country, while the Applied Economic Research Centre hasestimated that the mega initiative would provide around 700,000 direct jobsbetween 2015 and 2030.
The Planning Commission’s data shows even more promising results, with CPECgenerating around 800,000 jobs in the next 15 years.