by Shafqat Ali

 

Islamabad, April 25 (Gwadar Pro) – Chairman China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority Lt. General Asim Laleem Bajwa (retd) said on Saturday afternoon that clusters of Technical Institutes would be established around the new Special Economic Zones (SEZs) under the multi-billion-dollar CPEC.

 

The CPEC authority chief said the new clusters would help create scores of new jobs. Bajwa said preparing youth for jobs in CPEC projects “is our top priority under a comprehensive plan.” In a tweet, he said the Gwadar Technical Institute to cater to new industries in the free zone (Gwadar Port Free Zone) was coming up fast.

 

Iron Brothers, Pakistan and China, have agreed to establish six modern technical and vocational training institutes along the route of CPEC.

 

These institutes would be established at Gilgit, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Dera Ismael Khan, Quetta and Gwadar.

 

CPEC would not only open the new vista of progress and development in Pakistan but also create a number of employment opportunities for Pakistani youth.

 

Skilled workers would play a pivotal role in poverty alleviation and socio-economic uplift, the sources added.

 

The ties between China and Pakistan under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) known as the ‘project of the century’ have drawn the attention of investors from across the world.

 

CPEC as part of BRI is beginning to transform Pakistan’s infrastructure and economy as well as improve ties with China.  In turn, this will change Pakistan for the better in almost all areas be it in education, infrastructure, the economy or the lifestyle of the Pakistani people.

 

The second phase of CPEC has been kicked off, which focuses on industrialisation, socio-economic development, agriculture modernisation, and tourism promotion.

 

The 27 priority projects of social development have already been finalised under CPEC of which 17 were launched in the first half of 2020.

 

To bridge the supply and demand gap of skilled technical labour required for projects going ahead under CPEC, the education sector is also one major area to be improved.

 

This includes the building of universities for higher education, the establishment of various research and development wings and technical education and training for building manpower.

 

Former Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing had said that China will provide 1800 training opportunities to Pakistan, help build and upgrade 50 schools, 50 vocational training centers and 30 hospitals across Pakistan.

 

“Besides this, in the coming next three years Pakistani students will also benefit from 20,000 scholarships provided by China in order to strengthen their cooperative partnership in the education sector,” he had said.

 

The Ministry of Ports and Shipping is establishing the Pak-China Technical and Vocational Training Institute at Gwadar in a bid to create skilled labour force for the economy and the maintenance of the deep-sea port.

 

“The institute will help fulfill technical and skilled manpower requirements of the port after the development of industrial projects including the Gwadar Port Free Zone, Export Processing Zone, and other industrial and port-related projects,” an official from the Ports and Shipping Ministry said.

 

Meanwhile, the CPEC Consortium of Universities was founded in Islamabad in August 2017 and established special schools to promote business-to-business linkages between China and Pakistan.

 

They will also assist in researching the relocation of some Chinese businesses in special planned industrial parks in Pakistan. The CPEC Consortium of Universities has vowed to enhance cooperation in the fields of business studies, science, and technology for the benefit of the societies of the two countries.

 

According to the Chinese embassy, nearly 30,000 Pakistani students are studying in China with more than 7,000 scholarships. At present, five universities in Pakistan have established Confucius Institutes, and 58 universities have joined the consortium.

 

China is also helping Pakistani students get good quality education by offering sponsored scholarships in various disciplines including applied sciences and social sciences.

 

It is also believed by experts that CPEC has the potential to revamp the education system in Pakistan by promoting distance and e-learning in the country.