PAFLA, the Pakistan Freelancers Association, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Usman Institute of Technology University, formalising a partnership aimed at helping students build digital skills and pursue careers in the freelancing economy. The MoU was signed by Fahad Sheikh, Co-Founder of PAFLA, and Prof. Dr. Engr. Vali Uddin, Vice Chancellor of UITU, in the presence of Farheen Fatima, Growth and Strategy at PAFLA, and Muhammad Ali Kemal, Director ORIC at UITU. The agreement brings together a national freelancing body and a private engineering university under a single framework aimed at preparing students for work in the digital economy.
Under the agreement, PAFLA and UITU will offer free freelancing awareness and training sessions for students, giving them an introduction to how freelancing works before they graduate and enter the job market. The partnership will also create internships, job fairs and career opportunities, extending beyond awareness sessions into more direct pathways for students to gain practical experience and connect with potential employers or clients. For students who may not have considered freelancing as a serious career option, early exposure through structured training could help demystify the skills and platforms involved in building an independent digital career.
The MoU also covers mentorship and industry exposure, along with joint workshops, seminars and events organised by both organisations. These components suggest the partnership is designed to give students sustained engagement with the freelancing industry over time, rather than a single training session, pairing them with experienced professionals who can offer guidance as they navigate early career decisions. Mentorship programmes of this kind can be particularly valuable for freelancers starting out, since much of the practical knowledge required to succeed, from pricing work to managing international clients, is not always covered in standard academic coursework.
Notably, the agreement also includes support for students and freelancers facing payment related challenges, an area that has historically posed difficulties for freelancers working with international clients from Pakistan. Payment related obstacles, including restrictions on receiving funds from certain countries or platforms, have long been cited as a barrier for freelancers in Pakistan, so addressing this issue directly within the MoU points to a practical, problem focused dimension to the partnership beyond training and career guidance alone.
Through this collaboration, PAFLA and UITU said they look forward to creating more pathways for students to develop digital skills and build successful careers in the digital economy. The partnership adds to PAFLA’s broader pattern of engaging with academic institutions to introduce freelancing as a viable career path for students, reflecting continued efforts within Pakistan’s freelancing ecosystem to connect formal education with the practical skills and support systems needed to succeed as an independent digital worker.
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