Aim to provide technical education & training: BPPPA & BTEVTA sign ‘Public Private Partnership’ agreement

KARACHI: Balochistan Public Private Partnership Authority (BPPPA) and the Balochistan Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (BTEVTA) have signed the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) agreement for Outsourcing the Operations and Management (O&M) of Hub Center of Excellent (Hub CoE), here on Monday.

The agreement was signed through government of Balochistan. While the agreement was signed with Zabtech (iTVE), a subsidiary of SZABIST. The ceremony was attended by Chief Secretary Balochistan Abdul Aziz Uqaili as a Chief Guest.

The signing ceremony was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives from the BPPPA, BTEVTA, SZABist and Zabtech (iTVE) along with distinguished guests. During his address, Abdul Aziz Uqaili praised the partnership as a significant step towards improving the skills and employability of the youth in Balochistan. He emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in promoting economic development and improving the lives of people in the province.

The concession agreement aims to boost technical education and vocational training in Balochistan, with a focus on 18 trades. The agreement will enable over 2,700 students to receive quality training pertinent to the requirements of the Hub city which host numerous industrial entities including the HITE and LIEDA. The Concessionaire will create strong industry linkages in national and international level that will assist the students in securing meaningful jobs after proper trainings. Students will also benefit from on-job training and certification, performance-based stipends, and competency-based training, leading to better employability and self-employment opportunities.

“We are excited to have signed this PPP agreement with Zabtech (iTVE) which are expert in running TVET centers across Sindh. This partnership will provide high-quality technical education and vocational training to the youth of Balochistan, equipping them with much needed valuable skills and contribute to the economic development of the province,” Tariq Qamar, Secretary Labour and Manpower, Government of Balochistan.

“Today’s agreement is a landmark achievement to turn around the skilled labor landscape in Hub, Balochistan. The city hosts over 140 industries. We are expanding the horizon by launching the development of Hub SEZ over an area of 5,000 acres under PPP mode. The outsourcing of Hub CoE under PPP Mode will assist in providing quality, highly skilled labor to the market and contributing the entire industrial eco-system. The center will strive to ensure employability of the passing students and provide them high quality certifications that can significantly improve their overall learning curve” said Dr. Faisal Khan, CEO BPPPA.

“We are delighted to be part of this landmark PPP initiative and making our way to serve the province of Balochistan. We aim to revolutionize the technical education and vocational training in the province. Our partnership with BPPPA, BTEVTA, and other stakeholders will provide high-quality training, industry linkages, and certification to students, enabling them to excel in their careers and contribute to the economic development of the province,” said Ms. Waheeda Mahesar, Director Zabtech (iTVE).

The signing ceremony is a significant milestone for Balochistan’s public-private partnership initiatives and highlighted the importance of collaboration with the private sector to promote economic development and improving the lives of people in the province. The institute will initiate regular classes from September 10, 2023.

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