Vocational training plays a critical role in a country’s economic development and transformation, especially in eradicating poverty and enabling people contribute to socio-economic development. Pakistan and China’s cooperation under CPEC, which is in the second phase, has made significant contributions to Pakistan’s vocational training sector.
An important reason of China’s success in uplifting millions of people from poverty is that the country has emphasized and worked on building strong technical and vocational education infrastructure that contributes to the nation’s development and progress.
China aims to build a modern vocational training system by 2025 with improved conditions and quality and the world leading vocational training system by 2035 with improved skilled workers. Support from the government has elevated the status of vocational education in the country and encouraged enterprises and schools to improve their vocational education capacity.
By building strong partnerships with the leading vocational training institutions in China, Pakistan can learn from China’s experience and benefit the people, especially young people, through various initiatives.
Several universities, both Pakistani and Chinese, are collaborating on various Chinese language initiatives, which helpPakistani students and business professionals to communicate better with their Chinese counterparts, study in Chinese universities and understand the business potential in the two brotherly countries.
Similarly, vocational training institutes have been set up in Pakistan. Currently, there are five Confucius Institutes and two Confucius Classrooms across Pakistan. They equip Pakistani youth to speak the Chinese language and join Chinese companies.
In particular, China and Pakistan have been deepening the cooperation in vocational education in the second phase of CPEC. The Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority of Pakistan have signed MoUs for Chinese language and Chinese diploma courses in e-commerce and machines. In Gwadar, the Pakistan-China Technical and Vocational Institute will soon receive Chinese trainers to support the Institute.
Aside from that, the Higher Education Commission is expected to begin a dual degree program between China and Pakistan on mining engineering at Karakoram International University under the CCTE model (CCTE stands for “China-Pakistan Dual Diploma/Degree, Chinese Language and Commercial Culture, Technology Education, and Further Education & Employment services.
Through these programs, not only can high-quality local technical and scientific research talents be nurtured, but also Pakistani technical teachers have been trained for the sustainable development of technical education in Pakistan. Students participating in CCTE programs will learn in Pakistan for the first two years and in China for the third year before obtaining degrees from both sides.
