Human Resource Development

Human Resource Development

It is not just the advantage of processing natural resources or cheap labour, but the availability of technology, manifested through a competitive, skilled and productive industrial labour force and entrepreneurship which separates success from failure. Apart for institutional excellence, the major sources of competitive advantage for a nation are (i) people, their skills, and capacity for innovation, and (ii) technology, and the knowledge on which it is based. The major source of long term productivity growth is technological advance. No modern economy can sustain growth unless it makes investments in human capital including formal education, training, and on-the-job learning, embodied in the workforce. In the drive to move vigorously ahead, highest priority will be given to the development of human resources. The country has an average educational system which is not at par with the required international standards. In order to achieve the vision and goal of an industrialized and knowledge economy, the education system must be re-oriented and upgraded to produce required knowledge workers, scientists and engineers of international standards. The country must aspire to the highest standards with regard to the skills of its people, to their devotion to know-how and knowledge upgrading and self-improvement, to their language competence, to their work attitudes and discipline, to their managerial abilities, to their achievement motivation, to their attitude towards excellence, and to the fostering of the entrepreneurial spirit. The importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial development, which goes beyond training and education, must not be neglected. An optimal mix must be ensured with regard to professionals, sub-professionals, craftsmen and artisans, together with balance with regard to those with competence in science and technology, the arts and social sciences. The MTDF (Medium Term Development Framework, 2005-10) will reduce the skills and education gap and increase the scale and quality of human resources by policy major emphasis on (i) investment in education, training (especially technical education), together with lifelong learning, and adoption and diffusion of technology, (ii) upgrading the educational system to produce knowledge workers, creative scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs, (iii) broad-based technical and vocational education and skill development, including IT and computer literacy; (iv) emphasis on emerging fields in biotechnology, microelectronics, nanotechnology, special alloys and materials, designer molecules in chemistry and pharmaceuticals, and mechatronics, (v) encouragement of research institutions to form strong and mutually beneficial linkages with industry, (vi) embedding higher education and upgrading skills in all regions and groups throughout the country, and (vii) encouraging private sector to bear part of the burden of investing in quality education, skill development, and science and technology.