In collaboration with United Nations Development Program, Balochistan’s Department of Planning and Development has specifically introduced free training for the youth of Balochistan at NLC’s ATIN Mandra. They will be taught how to operate heavy machinery including excavators, graders and dozers.
Located on GT Road, about 40 kilometers south of Rawalpindi, ATIN Mandra offers Diploma of Associate Engineering (DAE) in civil, mechanical and Computer Information Technology (CIT). Spread over 29 acres of land, it can accommodate 1000 students in its three hostels. The institute has so far produced above 15,000 young technicians mostly belonging to rural areas of Pakistan. The main aim of the institute is to help individuals acquire marketable technical skills.
This two-month training conducted by ATIN Mandra would be sufficient to teach an individual the tricks and trade of heavy machinery operation believes Colonel Tassadaq, who is the director of this program. The students enrolled in the courses would be provided with a monthly stipend of 3,500 rupees as well as a hostel room. The candidate needs to fall between the age bracket of 18-36 to be eligible for the course and must also know how to read and write. Furthermore, candidates travelling from Quetta to Rawalpindi would be paid 3000 rupees as travel allowance. The application form for this course needs to be downloaded from NLC’s official website.
NLC’s ATINs are currently the only chains offering HTV long vehicles driver’s training in Pakistan
These ISO 9001:2015 certified ATINs have international collaboration with China Vocational Education Innovation Alliance (CVEIA), and Technical and Further Education (TAFE), which is Australia’s leading provider for education and training courses. They also hold national accreditation and recognition (with NAVTTC, NTB, PBTE, STEVTA, TEVTA KP and Punjab).
Pakistan is the second youngest country in Asia with around 68% of its population below the age of 30 years. Since Prime minister Imran Khan’s induction in the office, the emphasis has been on the skill development of the youth, keeping in view, the requirements of the local and international markets. National Logistics Cell has always been active in playing its part to promote technical education and vocational training. Its objective is to equip the marginalized and excluded youth across the country with skills that are required by the industries operating in Pakistan. It established Applied Technologies Institutes in 2006 with the aim to enable employment through skill development.
Till now, these technology institutes have provided skills and vocational training to over 58,000 students. They also endeavor to encourage technical training in the fields of civil technology, construction machinery, driving and other disciplines for capacity building and human resource development. Moreover, they are working in collaboration with Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) to explore opportunities for overseas recruitment of skilled work force.
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ATINs in partnership with Armed Forces Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (AFIRM) have also started technical and vocational training for armed forces war wounded and disabled persons.
There is a large gap between the existing skills of the youth of Pakistan and the skills demanded by the industry, therefore identification of skill gaps and developing skills that are well suited to the market is necessary, PM Khan believes. This would boost up the employment rate and also contribute to the economic growth of Pakistan.
NLC’s ATINs are currently the only chains offering HTV long vehicles driver’s training in Pakistan. Moreover, ATIN Dina has been transformed into a National Driving School to further improve the efficacy and quality of training.
NLC is currently running five institutes located in Dina, Mandra, Amangarh, Khairpur Mirs and Gilgit and has also decided to set up new institutes in Sindh, Southern Punjab, Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan. With the assistance of national and international donors, these institutes offer free technical education along with stipend to under-privileged students.
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Vocation training enhances the efficiency of the labor for better participation in economic development and is also a potentially powerful tool for social inclusion. Moreover, improving the skills and knowledge of the workforce is necessary for achieving and maintaining economic competitiveness. UNDP and Balochistan’s Department of Planning and Development’s initiative to provide the marginalized youth with the golden opportunity to get trained for free is a step in the right direction and should not be missed.