Former President of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik has called for aligning the education and vocational training systems of Pakistan with emerging industry requirements, in order to prepare the workforce for opportunities in information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI). He made the call in a statement that was issued in Lahore on Sunday. Malik said that the country needs to bridge the gap between academic education and practical skills so that it can meet global challenges and improve its industrial and export sectors. The statement places the question of skills at the centre of the economic needs of the country, and it links the content of education to the demands of the industries that employ graduates.
Malik noted that expanding university enrollment alone would not be sufficient unless graduates also possess technical expertise, analytical thinking, communication skills and adaptability to rapidly changing technologies. He urged that education be treated as an economic strategy, and he emphasized that industrial development, export growth and technological advancement depend heavily on a skilled and productive workforce. His remarks therefore distinguish between the number of students who enter universities and the abilities that they gain, and they present the quality of skills as the factor that decides whether education leads to better economic results.
Referring to the IT sector, he pointed out that exports of IT and IT enabled services from Pakistan reached $4.6 billion during the last fiscal year, including $1.76 billion earned by freelancers. He stated that flexible vocational courses, workplace based training and accessible digital programmes could help millions of people in low productivity occupations to improve their employment prospects. The figures that he cited show the size of the earnings from the sector, and the share that came from freelancers indicates that individuals who work independently contribute a significant part of the exports.
Malik also urged employers to contribute through apprenticeship and workforce development programmes, while stressing that the government should ensure affordable access to skills training. His statement assigns a role to three groups, with educational institutions expected to align their programmes with industry needs, employers expected to provide training on the job and the government expected to make training affordable. By combining these three roles, he argued that Pakistan can prepare its workforce for the opportunities in IT and AI that are linked to the growth of exports.
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