Bridging the Skills Divide: A Comparative Study of Skill-Based Education Across SAARC Countries with a Policy Roadmap for Pakistan

Abstract

The SAARC countries heavily rely on skill-based education, which serves as their key resource for developing their workforce and advancing economic growth and sustainable development. The research examines skill-based education approaches throughout South Asia by studying how Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka implement their educational strategies and encounter challenges. This paper analyzes regional and national TVET policies alongside education reform initiatives, academic publications, and global successes through a qualitative document-based research approach to reveal trends and discrepancies across vocational and technical education. A study of regional vocational education shows that most nations struggle with outdated education content, training deficiencies, inadequate facilities, and insufficient industrial-academic partnerships, as well as traditional barriers to teaching practical skills. National skill missions and digital education reforms are implemented on a large scale in India and Sri Lanka, while structural barriers hinder Afghanistan and Bhutan from making significant progress. The research indicates that Pakistan faces substantial barriers in its policy coordination, physical training programs, and public-private delivery approaches for education. An action plan based on regional examples recommends how Pakistan should enhance its vocational education and increase technical skills by implementing specified measures, such as specifying contemporary curricula, developing teaching expertise, utilizing industry connections, and providing universal program accessibility. A focus exists on specifying contemporary curricula, developing teaching expertise, using industry connections, and providing universal program accessibility. The study contributes to regional educational discourse while providing South Asian nations with a comprehensive strategy for integrating their skill development plans with worldwide employment requirements. Policymakers, educators, and researchers involved in education reform, youth employability strategies, and the development of the world's economic transformation should review this paper.