Prime Minister Youth Programme Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan held a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister Office in Islamabad with Kevin Frey, Chief Executive Officer of Generation Unlimited, and Pernille Ironside, Country Representative of UNICEF in Pakistan, to discuss enhanced collaboration on youth development initiatives across the country. The meeting was attended by senior representatives from the Prime Minister Youth Programme and UNICEF and focused on expanding opportunities for young Pakistanis through digital inclusion, skills development, and employment-focused programmes at scale.
A major highlight of the discussion was the rapid growth of the Digital Youth Hub, which has now surpassed 800,000 registered users, reflecting increasing engagement among Pakistan’s youth and growing demand for digital learning and career development opportunities. Kevin Frey praised the progress made through the platform and noted that its expanding reach demonstrates the aspirations and active participation of young Pakistanis, emphasising the importance of equipping youth with digital, entrepreneurial, and future-ready skills to improve their employability and drive innovation.
Chairman Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan described Pakistan’s youth population as a strategic national asset and stressed the importance of continued investment in skills development, employment generation, and youth advancement. He briefed the delegation on key policy initiatives being advanced under the Prime Minister Youth Programme, including the proposed National Youth Employment Policy and National Adolescent and Youth Policy, both aimed at creating greater opportunities and a more supportive institutional environment for young Pakistanis. The two policies, if formally adopted, would provide a structured framework for coordinating youth employment and development initiatives across federal and provincial government bodies, bringing greater coherence to what has historically been a fragmented policy landscape.
Participants recognised the Digital Youth Hub as a transformative platform connecting youth with educational resources, employment opportunities, mentorship programmes, and career development pathways. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation between the Prime Minister Youth Programme, Generation Unlimited, and UNICEF to advance youth advancement, digital access, skills enhancement, and sustainable employment opportunities throughout Pakistan. Officials expressed confidence that strengthened partnerships and innovative digital platforms will play a vital role in unlocking the potential of Pakistan’s young population and supporting long-term socioeconomic development. With over 63 percent of Pakistan’s population under the age of 30, the scale and quality of youth-focused digital and skills programmes will be a determining factor in whether the country is able to translate its demographic profile into a sustained economic advantage over the coming decade.
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