Muhammad Saleem

The Punjab government will set up a new e-Rozgar centre in Lahore as part of efforts to train the youth in digital skills. An official of the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) told Wealth Pakistan that the board is dedicated to equipping youth with in-demand skills. He said that the days of merely imparting theoretical knowledge to students are gone.

“It's an era of digital skills, and if we want to remain competitive in the digital world, we have to train our youth to meet the demands of international clients,” he added. He said PITB and Hunarmand Punjab signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up the e-Rozgar centre under the e-Rozgar 2.0 programme.

Hunarmand Punjab is an initiative launched by the provincial government to provide 50,000 scholarships to students across the country. Of these, the official said 25,000 scholarships will be awarded to students of Punjab and the rest would be distributed among students from other provinces.

He said that the e-Rozgar centre would provide digital skills to the youth, helping the government to generate more jobs and strengthen the national economy.  “Without developing digital entrepreneurship skills among our youth, we cannot align them with the international community,” he emphasised.

The PITB official also mentioned that the government had developed a modern curriculum, enabling students to acquire advanced digital skills and learn freelancing. The digital training initiative is a flagship programme of the Punjab government that has already helped youth achieve financial independence, he said.

Rida Hussain, who is enrolled in a skills development programme, told Wealth Pakistan that the Punjab government’s efforts to train youth in digital skills are a step toward a brighter future for the country’s youth. She said that the success of this initiative will depend on continuous support and the quality of training.

She mentioned that she and her fellow students are currently facing challenges due to the absence of teachers and unreliable internet connectivity. “We are being instructed by those managing the training course to speak positively about the teachers and management whenever any inspection team visits,” she said. 

Mohsin Ali, a digital marketing expert, speaking with Wealth Pakistan said that the government should focus on the youth in rural areas as they lack access to modern training. “To tap into the potential of rural youth, we need to train them in software development, digital marketing, machine learning, coding, artificial intelligence and other in-demand skills,” Ali said.

He acknowledged that the new e-Rozgar centre is a great initiative, but more needs to be done to meet the growing demands of international clients. “The government must expand its reach by launching training courses in rural areas. Amid rapid growth of artificial intelligence, digital skills training should be incorporated into the education system at all levels. This approach will help train students before they leave their educational institutions,” he suggested.

Credit: INP-WealthPk