Telecom Futures – Building Human Resources
(Pakistan, June, 2006) Telecom Futures is an industry-academia partnership in the telecom sector, which provides training and unique opportunities for less privileged people and for Pakistani youth. Telenor Pakistan and its industry partners launched the initiative in Raiwind, Lahore on June 30, 2006.
Launched in collaboration with Nokia, Siemens, and The Technical Education & Vocational Training Authority, TEVTA, the Telecom Futures program provides advanced trainings and rewards to teachers, sharing specialized equipment with students, and offering internships or jobs to suitable diploma holders. The goal is to create an education and training model that improves the level of human resource created locally, and increases the employability of vocational diploma holders.
Helping communities help themselves
“One major benefit of the advent of international telecommunication players into the local market, which is often ignored, is the influx of innovative thinking and fresh approaches to helping communities help themselves,” said Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shaukat Aziz on the occasion of the launch ceremony of Telecom Futures in the city of Attock. Aziz congratulated Telenor Pakistan and its partners for establishing a solid model of industry-academia collaboration:
“Vocational training institutes are building human capital from within the lower socioeconomic classes, and there is a huge opportunity to help them get their fair share from the Telecom promise,” he said.
Better employment opportunities
With tremendous telecom growth and an exceptional pool of potential talent within the country, the Telecom Futures program will help reduce skill set deficiency and expat-reliance in the market. Providing on the job training to students, this initiative will hopefully lead to better employment opportunities to deserving diploma holders from the lower income group.
For more information about Telecom Futures, visit Telenor Pakistan’s website http://www.telenor.com.pk/csr/telecom_futures/telecom_Futures.php