The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) is establishing “Pak-Finland School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts” at ITHM Lahore to make internationally recognised qualifications available in Pakistan. The inaugural ceremony of institute establishment of Pak-Finland School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts was held at NAVTTC headquarters.
National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC), as the country’s premier skill development organization, is striving to uplift the quality of TVET sector in Pakistan and bring it at par with international standards. Under its Prime Minister’s Hunarmand Pakistan/Skills for all programme, NAVTTC has taken steps to make skill training of international standards available for Pakistani youth in Pakistan. This will enhance the employability of Pakistani youth both in-country and in the international job market.

Hospitality & tourism has emerged as an employment intensive sector globally. In accordance with the vision of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, NAVTTC is making all out efforts to provide enabling environment to benefit from opportunities opened up by the sector. Collaboration for joint training certification programs and affiliation with institutions of international repute are NAVTTC’s core strategies towards the achievement of this end. As part of these steps, NAVTTC has collaborated with the globally high-ranked and Finland’s leading hospitality institute, the Turku Vocational Institute (TAI) and Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (ITHM) Lahore to establish “Pak-Finland Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (PFI-HCA)” at Lahore.
NAVTTC is striving to uplift the quality of TVET sector of Pakistan to bring it at par with international standards. In order to achieve this objective international collaboration for joint training programs and affiliation with institutions of international repute are NAVTTC’s core strategies. NAVTTC collaborated with globally high-ranked and Finland’s leading hospitality institute, the Turku Vocational Institute (TAI) to establish Pak-Finland School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts in Lahore in collaboration with Institute of Tourism and Hospitality and Management Lahore (ITHM).

The virtual inauguration ceremony took place on 26 May with distinguished guests including Ambassadors of both countries H.E. Harri Kämäräinen, Ambassador of Finland to Pakistan and H.E Zahoor Ahmed, Ambassador of Pakistan to Finland, NAVTTC’s Chairman Mr. Javed Hassan and Executive Director Dr. Nasir Khan, Director General Mr. Muqeem Islam, Director Mrs. Aisha Qazi, and TAI’s team in Turku, Finland Mr. Hannu Immonen, Mr. Petri Hörkkö, Mr. Timo Haukioja and Mrs. Marleena Tuuri.
“We are taking another big and important step to bring the world’s best education practices from Finland to Pakistan. But we are also taking another big and important step to bring the talented Pakistanis – both all of the professionals working with skills and vocational training and millions of young Pakistanis – to show and also teach the Finnish professionals lead by TAI Turku team how a big country like Pakistan operates and what is required for a successful learning curve on both sides. This is an ongoing process with plenty of new things to come”, Wille Eerola, Chairman of FPBC and Hon . Consul General of Pakistan in Finland said in his speech. “Building things like this under Covid-19 is obviously a challenge, but we didn’t. We have running the processes towards the common goals. Goals that will bring bright future to the Youth of Pakistan. That’s the highest priority, giving Skills for All”.
