It’s all about hard work, not gender

Shaneen Omar Sheikh

A CBT beneficiary of TVET Sector Support Programme employed at Abbott Pharma

Shaneen is from Hyderabad, Sindh, city of humble people with sheer hard work instinct. Eldest among her three sisters, Shaneen says that my parents always had to face the nipping questions like! Oh, you only have daughters, how would they lead you to a financial stability and a comfortable life?

Coming out from an interior city, it really becomes a challenge in Pakistani society. However, with the support of her parents, Shaneen left no room for such questions. While continuing her bachelor’s in commerce she already started to look for a practical skill learning which could help her to earn a stable financial position. One of her friends, told her about TVET Sector Support Programme’s competency-based training courses at ZABTech.

Shaneen chose the CBT Level II course of customer service and sales assistant spanning at six months. She received a three months training at ZABTech and three months on the job training in another nearby workplace facility. Shaneen claims this training, her best decision of the life so far because just one course employed her at one of the prestigious pharmaceutical companies of Pakistan (Abbott Pharma) as Customer Service & Sales Assistant. She is earning a handsome livelihood now with respect while working in a highly professional environment.

She is now looking forward to completing her bachelor’s degree while being on the job and learning the advance level CBT course of sales and customer services. Shaneen proudly shares that ‘people who used to question my parents are now presenting me as an example to follow for their kids’. Gardening is Shaneen’s hobby and just like raising a plant, she is of firm belief that interventions like TVET Sector Support Programme are nurturing a nursery of skilful youth leading to empowered nation.

Shaneenis the beneficiary of TVET Sector Support Programme, which is working with NAVTTC, provincial TEVTAs and PVTC since 2011 for bringing reforms in TVET Sector. The second phase of programme has funding of 62.5 mn euro for implementation of reforms in the TVET sector of Pakistan on national, provincial and regional level. The Programme is funded by the European Union, Federal Republic of Germany and the Royal Norwegian Embassy. In second phase of its implementation, programme is supporting competency-based-training of 36,800 men and women on the indigenous and industry-demand-driven trades. The Programme has been commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.