The Thar Foundation and Sindh Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (STEVTA) have partnered to train Thari Youth in demand driven technical trades that will have better employability in current and future mining projects in projects of Thar Coal. As per the agreement, STEVTA will train youth from the Tharparkar district, initially, in refrigeration and air conditioning trade, and the SECMC and EPTL will employ the trained human resource in the Thar Coal project at Block II. The efforts of both the companies are being concentrated from the platform of the Thar Foundation, a non-profit established by the SECMC and Engro Powergen Thar Ltd (EPTL) for the welfare of the Tharparkar communities.
The scope of the demand-driven training will increase as per the demands put forth by the SECMC and EPTL for Thar Coal Block II projects, thus, increasing the number of trades in the training. SECMC and STEVTA have also agreed to conduct consultative sessions to finalize the curricula and modules of training, competitive faculty, and assessment of the trainees at the end of module or tenure, etc.
In this connection, both the organizations on Friday formally signed a memorandum of understanding to start the program. The MoU was signed by TF’s chief executive officer Mr. Shamsuddin Ahmed Shaikh and STEVTA’s Director (A&T), Mr. Liaquat Ali Jamro in presence of Syed Abul Fazl Rizvi (COO, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company), Ahsan Zafar Syed (CEO, Engro Powergen Thar Limited), Mr. Kashif Ahmed Soomro (Director HR, Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company), Mr. Naseer Memon (General Manager CSR, PR, and Communications, EPL), Mr. Nazeer Ahmed Channa, Director Operations STEVTA), and Mr. Abdul Jabbar Junejo (Principal, Government Polytechnic Institute Mithi).
Speaking on the occasion, TF chief Mr. Shaikh said that they the training program will increase the chances of Thari youth’s employability in the future coal mining and power generation projects as well. TF will ensure its cooperation throughout the training, from invitation of applications to execution and assessment of trainees, culminating in employment of the successful candidates as per the need of the company, he added.
Speaking at the occasion, STEVTA’s Director (A&T), Mr. Jamro said, they are focusing on employability based on quality and skills in this collaboration, with special reference to the potential opportunities generating at the Thar Coal field. “The primary beneficiaries of this joint venture will be the youth of Tharparkar whose employability will increase manifold after they successfully complete the training modules,” he said.
Mr. Jamro said that once successful, this venture will prove to be a role-model for generating livelihood opportunities and skilled human resource in any province. Mr. Memon from the EPL said “We are aiming at the long-term benefits of this collaboration by generating human resource for the mining and power projects in Tharparkar, in progress or to be initiated in the years to come.”
The first batch of the trainees will start their training in December 2017 at Government Polytechnic Institute Mithi.