Islamabad — The Ministry of IT & Telecom and the Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) have unveiled Prime Minister’s SkillTech Pakistan, a landmark initiative aimed at equipping young Pakistanis with globally competitive digital skills and accelerating the country’s emergence as a global technology hub.
The launch event, Building Tomorrow, was headlined by Federal IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, who emphasized the program’s transformative impact: “SkillTech Pakistan will introduce six flagship programs designed to prepare youth for international technology markets, while helping local firms achieve compliance with global standards. This reflects our vision of a future-ready workforce and a premier global tech destination.”
The initiative builds on the success of DigiSkills, which has already trained more than 3 million Pakistanis, contributing to record IT exports of $691 million in July–August 2025. Under SkillTech, more than 2.1 million Pakistanis will be trained in the next three years.
Key components include:
- Skill Bridge: Paid internships and apprenticeships linking ICT graduates with employers to bridge the academia-industry gap.
- Certified to Export (C2X): Support for IT firms to obtain international certifications such as ISO and GDPR compliance.
- Skilllift 1.0 Bootcamps: Advanced training in AI, blockchain, cloud computing, mobile apps, web development, and software quality assurance.
PSEB CEO Abu Bakr said the program will “make our youth employable, competitive, and confident in the global marketplace,” reinforcing Pakistan’s ambition to become the region’s digital hub.
By blending skills development with industry partnerships and compliance support, SkillTech Pakistan represents a major step toward realizing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of a “Digital Nation Pakistan.”
