More than 600,000 individuals across Pakistan have received general and high-end IT training during the fiscal year 2024–2025, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was informed during a comprehensive briefing held in the capital.
Out of the total, 49,800 individuals received specialized high-end IT training aimed at preparing them for advanced roles in both national and international technology sectors.
Responding to the progress, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed the immediate development of a strategy to introduce IT education as a compulsory subject starting from grade six nationwide. He reiterated that strengthening the IT sector and enhancing technology-related exports are among the government’s top strategic priorities.
Underscoring the need for equal and quality education, the Prime Minister urged provincial governments to collaborate in designing a uniform IT curriculum and standardized training frameworks for schools, colleges, and universities.
He also issued special instructions for launching targeted IT training programs in underdeveloped regions, including Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Balochistan. The Prime Minister emphasized that these programs must be designed to meet global standards so that graduates are equipped to secure employment both at home and abroad.
The meeting also reviewed the ongoing School Broadband Connectivity Project, which aims to enhance internet infrastructure across educational institutions in Islamabad.
Officials briefed the Prime Minister on the Ministry’s collaboration with global tech leader Huawei. Under this partnership, Skills Vocational Training Centers have been established at key institutions including the International Islamic University Islamabad, the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), and COMSATS University Lahore Campus.
Huawei’s advanced training modules in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, and cybersecurity have also been incorporated into the curricula of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, UET Taxila, and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro.
Additionally, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, in collaboration with Huawei, plans to train 146,367 students and upgrade 1,300 laboratories. The initiative will particularly benefit communities in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima Khawaja, PM Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, senior government officials, and Huawei CEO Ethan Sun
