In a significant shift from traditional education that often falls short of modern industry demands, a growing number of young females in Gwadar are enrolling in advanced digital skills courses, including e-commerce, digital marketing, data analytics, and graphic design, at the Pak–China Technical and Vocational Institute (PCT&VI), a flagship project under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The aim is to prepare for better job opportunities in the modern digital economy, Gwadar Pro reported on Monday.

The University of Gwadar announced on Saturday that 209 candidates have been selected for 12 short courses in technology and business. Out of these, 82 are female students. Digital marketing attracted the highest number of women. Ten female students have been selected compared to six male students. Freelancing also saw a strong female presence, with six of the eight selected candidates being women. In data analytics and business intelligence, women nearly matched men, with ten female students out of 21.

The three-month programs are being offered with support from the Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology (SICT) in China. The training covers artificial intelligence, e-commerce, Python programming, mobile application development, graphic design and office automation. Chinese instructors are working alongside Pakistani faculty to build local capacity and strengthen cooperation in education. In total, 127 male and 82 female students qualified. Men continue to dominate in some technical areas such as AI agent development, Python programming and mobile app development.

Female students, however, are making their presence felt in digital marketing, freelancing and data analytics. Graphic design and office automation saw nearly equal numbers of male and female students. The institute aims to equip local youth with modern skills so they can benefit from future economic and trade activities linked to regional connectivity. Many students, especially young women, see this as their chance to move into better paid and more competitive fields.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China