Islamabad, The sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development convened for the third day at the Parliament House, led by Senator Engr. Rukhsana Zuberi. The meeting included discussions on the training and certification of overseas Pakistani workers and the integration of returned employees.

According to Senate of Pakistan, the meeting was attended by Senator Shaheen Khalid Butt and senior officials from various ministries and educational institutions, including the MOIP, MOFEPT, NUTECH, NAVTTC, PITAC, MOITT, PIM, and HEC. The focus was on ensuring international recognition and compliance with global standards for the training and certifications of overseas employees, especially those in GCC countries.

Officials discussed the plight of the 650,000 workers who had returned from abroad, stressing the importance of prioritizing their needs and enhancing their skills. Challenges in data collection for policy-making regarding vocational courses were also addressed, with PITAC officials revealing that 34 percent of overseas employees were jobless. The meeting highlighted the need for regularized research to determine the accurate turnover of overseas employees.

The committee also tackled the issue of certificate verification for overseas workers, with a suggestion to merge different databases for easier retrieval of employee data. HEC officials informed the committee about a portal being developed for worldwide certificate verification. Additionally, the Pakistan Institute of Management proposed that HEC provide certifications to laborers working abroad to help mitigate potential issues.

The meeting concluded with a recommendation from the Convenor for HEC to include language skills, digital literacy, and knowledge of local laws in the curriculum for overseas employees. The Convenor also emphasized the importance of the Dublin Accord and Sydney Accord, highlighting their significance for many people.