Course Brief Description:

We are pleased to share that the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), in coordination with the National Productivity Organization of Pakistan, will offer the Workshop on Human Capital Management in SMEs face-to-face on 27-30 January 2026 in Karachi, Pakistan.

Supporting SMEs’ competitiveness and resilience is a key APO focus area as the backbone of most member economies. For SMEs to thrive, HCM is essential for navigating a rapidly changing environment characterized by limited financial resources, technology disruptions, and labor shortages. This workshop is timely for the APO to review the HCM framework to enhance SMEs’ human resource (HR) strategies.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The program seeks to:

1. Enhance understanding of human capital management (HCM) as a strategic approach for improving competitiveness, productivity, and resilience in SMEs;
2. Discuss issues and challenges of HCM in the digital transformation era; and
3. Develop practical frameworks and tools to align workforce strategies with business goals.

Two (2) qualified candidates from the Department will be considered by CEST for endorsement to this program.

Eligible and interested applicants must submit the following requirements no later than 1 December 2025 to the CEST Secretariat:

1. CEST Forms B and C (please see attached template) duly approved by the applicant’s Supervising Undersecretary/Head
2. Service Record
3. Certificate of No Pending Administrative and/or Criminal Case
4. Certificate of No Pending Nomination and Service Obligation (for applicants from the regional / provincial offices)
5. Accomplished Training Needs and Endorsement by Organization/Company (TNEO) (template attached) with the applicant’s signature

As stated in Item 6.1.2 of Department Order 22-10: Revised CEST Guidelines, participation of employees requires the approval of their Bureau/Office Head and the endorsement of their Supervising Undersecretary/Head.

Applicants who fail to submit all the abovementioned CEST requirements will no longer be accommodated for the program.

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

Target participants include officials from SME development agencies working on HCM frameworks. The APO Secretariat may give preference to individuals joining an APO project for the first time. Those who have participated in an APO project within the last two (2) years may receive lower priority.