By Zia Khan/Staff Reporter

Pakistan plans to establish a state-of-the-art vocational training institute in Doha to train community children who drop out of formal schooling in various skills highly demanded in Qatar.

The proposed centre would also serve locals and other nationalities, Pakistan’s new Ambassador Syed Hassan Raza said.

He said the initiative would be a major boost to meet the technical education needs of Pakistani and other communities residing in Doha.

The first of its kind project is envisaged to be set up inside the premises of the Pakistani Education Centre (PEC) - the oldest of the four community schools in Qatar.

Raza, who took charge of his office early this month, was speaking at a dinner reception hosted by one of the several Pakistani community groups active in Doha.

“It is going to be our gift to all those who live in Qatar,” said the envoy in an announcement that will go a long way in satisfying the diverse needs of schooling in this country that requires more technical hands to build its infrastructures.

Qatar requires professionals including associate engineers in disciplines like civil, mechanical, petroleum and electrical and  also land surveyors, carpenters, motor mechanics and others to keep pace with a construction boom ahead of 2022 when the nation is set to host football World Cup.

But at the moment most such professionals are hired from outside because there is no such institute to groom skilled manpower locally, he felt.

The proposed initiative, the ambassador said, is aimed at providing young Pakistanis to excel in the skill trades required in Qatar and at the same time helping the country to have fresh hands to build its infrastructure.

Thousands of Pakistani children from low income families sometimes cannot continue their formal schooling due to various factors including economic constraints and limited seats available at the community institutions.

The envoy said one of the objectives of the project is to make sure that the children who discontinue formal schooling could have something to earn a decent livelihood.

But at the same time, he added, the enrolment to the proposed institute would not be for Pakistani children only.

“We will welcome if locals or children from other communities seek admission to it,” Raza said about the institute for the establishment of which no timeframe was given.

The Pakistan Welfare Forum (PWF) - a humanitarian initiative to promote education - has already announced its support in setting up the vocational centre.

The proposed facility would impart various vocational trainings to both male and female students.