The second DigiSkills Program for freelancers has been started by the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication.
On Monday, the Ignite National Technology Fund and the Virtual University of Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding. Asim Shahryar Husain, CEO of Ignite, and Dr. Arshad Saleem Bhatti, Rector of Virtual University Pakistan, inked the agreement.
Syed Amin Ul Haque, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunications, Dr. Mohammad Sohail Rajput, Secretary of the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and officials from the IT Ministry, Ignite, and Virtual University Pakistan were among those who attended the ceremony.
Pakistan can increase the number of freelancers and bring in foreign exchange through this initiative, according to Haque, because of the country’s increasing internet connectivity, broadband penetration, young and educated youth, thousands of IT graduates, and million-plus enrolled university students.
In terms of freelancers and their incomes, Pakistan is the world’s fourth fastest growing country. “State Bank’s figure for freelancing exports during 2020-21 was $396 million and we hope that it will reach half a billion dollars by June 2022”, the Minister added.
The government, according to Haque, is working hard to provide complete assistance to freelancers in terms of ease of doing business, bank account creation, bringing overseas remittances to Pakistan, and the availability of seamless internet connectivity across the country.
The Federal Minister praised the DigiSkills results, saying they have helped new and established freelancers gain the knowledge, skills, tools, and strategies they need to take advantage of international opportunities in online freelancing marketplaces.
The Federal Minister for Information Technology emphasized the importance of DigiSkills, particularly women’s participation, stating that during the first phase, DigiSkills received total enrollments of 2,232,801 from more than 300 cities across Pakistan and beyond. Males made up 74 percent (1,653,400) and females made up 26 percent (579,281).
The majority of these trainees (70 percent) were Pakistani youth, with the majority (60 percent) having obtained Intermediate or Bachelor’s degrees. The most popular course among students was Graphic Design.
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