PSEB, P@sha, and 21 other top technology companies announced on Monday that they are training 4,000 IT graduates at a cost of Rs590 million.
While speaking at the TechLift Boot Camp graduation ceremony at a local hotel in Karachi on Monday, the Federal Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication said that the programme started in May of last year and that approximately 1,800 IT graduates had successfully completed their training and received certificates. By June 2023, the remaining 2,200 graduates will have finished their training.
The Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB), the Pakistan Software House Association (P@sha), and 21 other top technology companies announced on Monday that they are training 4,000 IT graduates at a cost of Rs590 million, which will be covered by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
Two-thirds of Pakistan’s population, according to the minister, are under the age of 30, so the country prides itself on the potential of its youth. “This demographic presents a unique opportunity for growth and development, but that can only be done if we are able to tap into the talent of young people and direct them in the right direction,” he said.
The Pakistani government has set a target of $5 billion for IT exports in the fiscal year 2023, but in the first seven months, IT exports were only $1.52 billion, or just 2% more than in the same period of the previous fiscal year.
Many IT industry officials believe Pakistan’s goal of $15 billion in IT exports in three years, which has been stated on several occasions by government officials, is unrealistic.
The minister predicted that IT exports would experience 100% growth. In order to set a goal of 100% growth in the upcoming years, the Ministry of IT and Telecom worked with both public and private sector stakeholders, he said.
“To reach $15 billion in IT exports is our goal. It’s crucial that we give our youth the most opportunities for top-notch IT training in order to reach this goal ” he said. Due to the initiatives taken by the IT ministry, the number of IT exports has increased from $900 million four years ago to $3 billion today, he claimed.
The Techlift boot camp training programme was introduced by MOITT and PSEB in collaboration with P@sha and a group of 21 IT companies as part of a ground-breaking initiative to strengthen Pakistan’s technology sector.
The minister claimed that this business-driven bootcamp had been created especially to train young people in the newest technology so they would be competitive in the job market and have an employability rate of 80%. He claimed that the expansion of our tech sector is closely related to Pakistan’s economy.
“These graduates, in my opinion, will be instrumental in propelling innovation and growth in the nation. I am sure that this programme has given them the knowledge and skills they need to shape the future of our nation and accomplish our goals, ” said the minister. Pakistan currently produces 50,000 IT graduates each year.
“Although many of these young people have commendable skills, additional training is required to help them integrate into the IT industry. Without a doubt, our current generation is demonstrating the full extent of its skills in information and communication technology,” said the minister.