Rawalpindi, September 16, 2021 (PPI-OT):NUMS, under its mandate to become umbrella body for accreditation of training programs for paramedics and allied health professionals, is in the process of attaining the status of Qualification Awarding Body (QAB) by National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) to award Level 1-5 certificates to paramedics, allied health professionals, relevant technical trades in RV and FC and ASC.
NUMS as QAB aims to provide consistent and credible competency based vocational and technical qualifications through its accredited training centers and assessment in the field of allied health sciences and technologies.
Technical/vocational education/skills will be viewed through the prism of need assessment/industry requirement at national and international horizon. This project aims to fill the market need for qualified/skilled healthcare workforce by equipping them with market driven skill sets and qualification of international standards.
NUMS will be the first NAVTTC accredited medical university to develop National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Standards for paramedics in the country. The mandate includes:
(1) Acquisition of status of QAB from NAVTTC for accreditation and certification of Technical and Vocational Trainings in AMC, RV and FC and selected courses in ASC.
(2) Provision of guidance and support for transformation of Military Training Regime of Ranks, in relevant trades, into National Professional Qualification and Certification System.
(3) Conduct/management of assessments for Allied Health Professionals in accredited training institutes and assessment centers.
In this regard, NUMS Allied Health Professionals Certification Program under the mandate of NUMS Skill Development (NSDP), conducted a five-day workshop for capacity building of military officers, from 30th August to 3rd September, on Competency Based Training and Assessment (CBT and A) including development of competency standards, competency units, performance criteria, teaching resource and assessments (DACUM).
The facilitators of the workshop were NAVTTC-GIZ technical consultants, Mr Naeem Akhtar and Ms Atiqa Shahbaz. It was attended by 29 officers of different specialties from Army Medical Corps (AMC), Army Supply Corps (ASC) and Remount Veterinary and Farms Corps (RV and FC). The introduction of CBT and A is an important element of the National Skills Strategy (NSS), which is the basis of the ongoing TVET sector reforms in Pakistan. It also provides the basis for the implementation of the National Vocational Qualifications Framework (NVQF).
Under this paradigm shift, the CBT programs are designed and delivered by adopting a systematic approach, focusing on better employability of the trainees with strong market linkages. Through competency-based assessment, the trainees will be assessed after completing the program and awarded high quality national vocational certificates. Likewise, skills of the individuals from outside the formal system are also recognized through Recognition of Prior Learning/Recognition of Current Competencies (RPL/RCC).
The participants were given hands-on training in development of competency-based curriculum from level 1 to level 5 for Nursing Assistant, Nursing Technician, Lab Technician, OT Assistant (vascular surgery), Anaesthesia Technician, Endoscopy Technician and Radiology Technician. The lesson plan of different modules was presented by groups of participants. This workshop is part of a series of training sessions which will be conducted by NUMS Allied Health Professionals Certification Program for building a national pool of experts in CBT and A.
For more information, contact:
National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS)
The Mall, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9270677
Email: info@numspak.edu.pk
Website: http://numspak.edu.pk