Senate Body Discusses Certificate Verification Of Overseas Employees

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2024) The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development on Thursday briefly discussed the training and certificates verification of overseas employees revealed as challenges faced by them.

The committee was chaired by Senator Engr Rukhsana Zuberi for the third consecutive day at the Parliament House. The meeting was attended by Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt and senior officials from the Ministry of Industries and Production (MOIP), Ministry of Federal education and Professional Training (MOFEPT), National University of Technology (NUTECH), National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Center (PITAC), Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MOITT), Pakistan Institute of Management ( PIM), and Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The meeting commenced with the Convenor Engr Rukhsana Zuberi, reflecting on GCC countries and the facilitation of overseas Pakistani workers. The committee members discussed in detail the training and certifications of overseas employees, emphasizing international recognition and compliance with global standards.

In addressing the 650,000 employees who returned from abroad, officials from the ministries said that they have prioritized their needs and committed to enhancing their skill sets.

Moreover, Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt inquired from the institutes about data for policy-making regarding short and long courses. PITAC officials explained that, through case studies, they found that 34 percent of overseas employees were jobless.

They also noted the challenges in approaching overseas students outside of GCC countries. Education Ministry officials collectively agreed to regularize conducting thorough research to determine the accurate turnover of overseas employees.

The Convenor of the committee suggested merging different databases to make employee data easily retrievable.

Officials from HEC apprised the committee members about their initiatives to introduce a portal for worldwide certificate verification. Furthermore, officials from the Pakistan Institute of Management requested that HEC provide certification to laborers working abroad to mitigate potential issues.

The Convenor recommended that the HEC also incorporate language skills, digital literacy, and knowledge of local laws into the curriculum for overseas employees. The Convenor emphasized the importance of the Dublin Accord and Sydney Accord, highlighting the adverse impact of inactivity in this regard on many people.