September 30, 2015 – TUSDEC (Technology Upgradation & Skill Development Company) organized the inauguration ceremony of Female Vocational Training Lab at Mashaal Institute of Special Education in Tarbela. Under TUSDEC’s EU-funded programme of TVET support the lab has been upgraded with latest sewing and embroidery machines and relevant consumables for tailoring and handicrafts. Mr Bernard Francois, Head of Cooperation and Ms Anne Kofoed, Head of Mission from the Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the lab. While addressing the ceremony, TUSDEC CEO Mr. Basit Maqsood Abbasi showed his gratitude to the European Union for supporting the technical and vocational sector in Pakistan. He further said that since the initiation of the programme, TUSDEC has laid its focus on the quality, effectiveness and market-relevance of the trainings so that the trained manpower would immediately be absorbed by the labour market. TUSDEC Head Projects, Mr. Nabeel Asghar elaborated the specific objectives of the four year programme of TVET support in KP and FATA. He said that programme is aimed at improving the quality and access of technical and vocational trainings through engaging public and private sector training institutes in terms of capacitating them to provide demand-driven trainings to the youth belonging to the marginalized communities. Under the same programme, TUSDEC arranged 12 days Training of the Trainers session for 10 female instructors of the institute in the trades of Hand/Machine Embroidery, Dress Making and Handicrafts. TOT completion certificates were also distributed among the trained instructors. A large assortment of products inclusive of fashion apparel, home accessories, jewellery and decorative accessories, developed by the instructors during 12 days TOT session were displayed at the ceremony and were greatly extolled by the guests. Under the project, special focus is also being laid on training and enabling disabled men and women so that they would be able to make a reasonable living.
