Senator Afnan Ullah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announced on Wednesday that a Google team would visit Islamabad next month to begin operations in Pakistan.
“A delegation of Google will visit Pakistan on December 11 to start operations,” he said, adding that the platform will provide 15,000 scholarships to Pakistani citizens after starting operations in Pakistan.
The senator went on to say that the government will broaden the scope of Google services in Pakistan. Google launched Career Certificates earlier this month to provide flexible learning paths for all Pakistanis to develop their knowledge and acquire digital skills for in-demand jobs.
In addition, as part of its mission to Obtain Pakistan’s Digital Potential, Google has renewed its commitment to enabling an inclusive and equitable digital economy by offering 15,000 scholarships this year through local partners IRM and Ignite, which include education institutions, industry partners, and nonprofits.
Pakistan’s ICT sector has grown dramatically over the last decade, with an average annual revenue growth rate of 20-30%. ICT-related exports now exceed $5 billion, and the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications believes the sector has the “potential to become the [nation’s] largest export industry” in the coming years.
Currently, the ICT sector employs approximately 4.7% of Pakistan’s labour force, with women accounting for 6% (or 200,000 workers). According to data from Pakistan’s leading job portal, Rozee.pk, the ICT sector also has the most job openings.
According to an AlphaBeta report, if fully leveraged, digital technologies could generate up to PKR 9.7 Trillion (USD 59.7 Billion) in economic value in Pakistan each year by 2030.
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